Sandigan affirms Benguet ex-cashier’s 89-year sentence

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has affirmed the conviction of a former cashier of the Benguet provincial government for multiple counts of malversation of public funds over a cash shortage amounting to P4.08 million.

In a resolution dated March 5 that was uploaded on the Sandiganbayan website only yesterday, the anti-graft court’s fifth division said former provincial cashier Esther Pagano failed to raise any new argument in her motion to reverse a Dec. 20, 2023 decision of the La Trinidad Regional Trial Court Branch 10.

The La Trinidad RTC sentenced Pagano to up to 16 years in prison for one count of malversation, up to three years for another count of the same offense and up to seven years for the remaining counts, or a total of 89 years for the 12 cases.

The fifth division said Pagano failed to prove that the RTC committed error or grave abuse of discretion in its decision.

The charges stemmed from Pagano’s failure to account for the cash collection shortage that should have been deposited in the provincial government’s bank accounts with the Land Bank of the Philippines, Philippine National Bank and Development Bank of the Philippines.

The fund shortage was discovered when Pagano’s supervisor, former provincial treasurer Mauricio Ambanloc, conducted a random check of accounts assigned to Pagano.

The Office of the Ombudsman’s Graft Investigation and Prosecution Service said Pagano failed to account for the fund shortage, supposedly incurred from Jan. 1, 1996 to Dec, 31, 1997, despite demands by the provincial government and Commission on Audit.

The Sandiganbayan said Pagano’s failure to account for the cash shortage was ”sufficient to convict her of malversation without any proof that she actually pocketed or used the funds for her benefit.”