Ex-lawmaker gets 28 years over PDAF

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has sentenced a former lawmaker of Misamis Occidental to 28 years in prison in connection with the misuse of his P2.1-million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

In a 31-page ruling promulgated on June 10, the anti-graft court’s Second Division found former congressman Loreto Leo Ocampos of the second district of Misamis Occidental guilty of violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act as well as malversation of public funds and falsification of documents as provided under the Revised Penal Code.

Aside from Ocampos, private respondents Josefina Candole and Jamie Ann Linsangan of the Rich Islas de Filipinas Foundation Inc. (RIDFFI) were found guilty of similar offenses.

The defendants were sentenced to six years and one month to 10 years in prison for graft, four years and two months to 10 years for malversation, and two years and four months to eight years for falsification.

The court disqualified Ocampos, Linsangan and Candole from holding public office and ordered them to pay the government P2.1 million, equivalent to the amount of public funds found to have been illegally disbursed.

The defendants were also ordered to pay a fine of P2.1 million.

Earlier, the court dismissed the cases filed against two other respondents, former National Commission on Muslim Filipinos chief Mehol Sadain for lack of evidence, and NCMF finance chief Galay Makalinggan due to his death in 2021.

Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2022, the charges stemmed from the alleged misuse of Ocampos’ PDAF for the implementation of a supposed livelihood project, which was coursed through the RIDFFI.

The Sandiganbayan said the ombudsman presented sufficient proof that the project was not completed or implemented.