Ex-AFP general gets 16 years for RSBS land mess

MANILA, Philippines -  The Sandiganbayan sentenced a retired military general to a maximum of 16 years in jail yesterday after finding him guilty of graft and estafa in connection with the sale of overpriced land to the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Retirement and Separation Benefits System (AFP-RSBS).

The anti-graft court’s fourth division also ordered retired brigadier general Jose Ramiscal Jr., former president of the AFP-RSBS, to pay more than P1.3 million in addition to a P5,000 fine.

Also convicted of graft, sentenced to 10 years in jail, and ordered to jointly pay the P1.3 million were legal division chief Meinrado Enrique Bello, chief of documentation for legal division Manuel Satuito and project officer Perfecto Quilicot Jr.

The P1.3 million covers the overprice of a lot that was bought in Tanauan, Batangas 14 years ago supposedly for the price of P1,531,564 for a 7,582-square meter property from owners Marianito Plaza, Glicerio Plaza and Petra Maunahan on April 23, 1997.

Records of the case show that Ramiscal and other AFP-RSBS officials paid only P227,460 for the lot but declared and released a bigger amount.

The discrepancy was discovered when graft investigators of the Office of the Ombudsman discovered two different deeds of sale covering the same property.

After trial, the Sandiganbayan found all four guilty of buying the lot at an overpriced amount as signatories to documents that include a Status of Transaction Report that Ramiscal approved.

“The existence of the two deeds of sale mentioned in the information is not disputed. Of these two amounts, this court considers the P227,460 as the actual selling price by the landowners; it was on the basis of this sale that the title was transferred to AFP-RSBS,” the anti-graft court’s ruling said.

The Sandiganbayan also rejected the claim of former lot owner Glicerio Plaza that he received “more than a million” as payment in an effort by the defense to clear the defendants of any wrongdoing.

“The deed of sale (with the lower amount) was duly recognized as basis of the transfer of title before the Register of Deeds and the Bureau of Internal Revenue. The oral testimony of Glicerio Plaza cannot override what is written on the documents,” the court ruled.

The Sandiganbayan said Ramiscal was the only one convicted of estafa because he was the only one who signed the second deed of sale bearing the bigger amount.

“Falsification attached when accused Ramiscal failed to make rectifications of the false narration. It was pointed out earlier that the (RSBS) board directed the documentation to be rectified so as to reflect the actual price. Despite his knowledge of this directive, he chose not to make the necessary corrections on the documents where his signature was affixed,” the court said.

Since Ramiscal is expected to appeal the conviction before a higher court, the Sandiganbayan further ordered him to pay additional bail bond of P160,000 for his temporary liberty.