Two former UP officials get 17 years for graft, unethical conduct

Two former officials of the state-owned University of the Philippines were each given a 17-year jail term after the Sandiganbayan found them guilty of graft and unethical conduct.

Former UP Diliman campus chancellor and faculty member Roger Posadas and vice chancellor Rolando Dayco were "perpetually barred" from holding public office and ordered to indemnify the government a total of P336,000.

In a 23-page resolution, justices of the fourth division of the Sandiganbayan — where cases against erring public officials are heard and tried — found the two men accountable when Dayco, whom Posadas had earlier appointed as officer in charge-chancellor, designated the latter as a director of a project sometime in 1995.

Court records showed Posadas was appointed director of a project institutionalizing the management of technology in the university, which is overseen by the Technology Management Center under the Office of the Chancellor.

Records showed that Posadas’ post as project director lasted for one year, for which he received a P30,000 monthly salary on top of the pay and benefits he regularly received as UP chancellor and faculty member.

In another incident, Dayco had also appointed Posadas as consultant to the project, for which he received P100,000 as a consultancy fee apart from his salary as chancellor and faculty member, according to the Sandiganbayan.

"There is evidence on record to support the finding that there is indeed evident bad faith on the part of both accused. Being the highest officials of UP Diliman, they knew very well the limitations of Dayco’s authority as OIC-chancellor," the Sandiganbayan ruled.

Justices Gregory Ong, Rodolfo Ponferrada and Jose Hernandez noted that since Posadas’ authority as chancellor was merely "delegated" to him by the UP Board of Regents, "he could not validly delegate it to Dayco."

"Posadas’ authority to appoint directors and consultants is merely a delegated authority to the chancellor, which he used to occupy during the material dates alleged in the information," the anti-graft court said.

The magistrates said both men knew appointing Posadas as project director and consultant was beyond Dayco’s powers as OIC-chancellor.

They also said Posadas had engaged in unauthorized private practice as a technology manager when Dayco appointed him as a project consultant.