Sandigan Convicts 3 former Leyte execs

The Sandiganbayan has sentenced a former mayor, vice mayor and municipal treasurer of Anahawan, Southern Leyte to 20 years in jail for the purchase of overpriced coco lumber in 1994.

Convicted by the anti-graft court’s fourth division the other day were former mayor Antonio de Jesus Sr., former vice mayor Anatolio Ang, and municipal treasurer Martina Apigo.

The court also ordered each of them to pay a P5,000 fine.

In its ruling, the Sandiganbayan found De Jesus, Ang and Apigo guilty beyond reasonable doubt of faking bid documents to make it appear that they conducted a public bidding for the purchase of coco lumber worth P16,767.

The contract was awarded to Anahawan Coco Lumber Supply owned by De Jesus’ son, Antonio Jr., who was named co-accused in the graft case but was acquitted for lack of evidence.

Prosecutors presented to the court the owners of Cuad General Merchandise and Hinundayan Lumber who denied taking part in the bidding, contrary to the former Anahawan officials’ claim that they did.

"There was a conscious doing of a wrong, that is, a deliberate intent to deceive the public that a canvass was done and that the purchase went through the proper procedure. The other supposed bidders actually had no inkling whatsoever that they had already ‘participated’ in a canvassing process," the court said.

The Sandiganbayan also noted that Cuad General Merchandise sold its coconut lumber at P4 per board foot, or P0.50 lower than those sold by Anahawan Lumber. This meant that the coco lumber purchased was overpriced by P1,863, it said.