Supreme Court affirms Zambales mayor's conviction

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld a Sandiganbayan decision sentencing the mayor of San Antonio, Zambales to a maximum jail term of 80 years for 10 counts of falsification of public documents six years ago.

The SC’s First Division chaired by Chief Justice Reynato Puno affirmed the anti-graft court’s July 25, 2003 ruling which also ordered Mayor Romeo Lonzanida to pay a fine of P50,000.

Lonzanida was found guilty of falsifying public records after he certified the affidavits of ownership of people supposedly applying for tax declarations back in 1995.

Of the 13 applicants, seven turned out to be minors, including three of the mayor’s own children, the two-month-old child of municipal treasurer Cecilia Legrama, and three children of assistant municipal treasurer Romulo Madarang.  – Michael Punongbayan