Sandigan affirms 90-day suspension vs. Mayor Ampatuan

The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division has upheld the 90-day suspension issued against Mayor Datu Sajid Islam Uy Ampatuan of Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao, in connection with the P72-million malversation, graft and falsification of public documents charges filed against him.

In a five-page decision dated November 20 but only released on December 2, the anti-graft court dismissed Ampatuan’s argument in his motion for reconsideration that he was not given the opportunity to participate in the preliminary investigation since an examination of the records shows otherwise.

“During the preliminary investigation, the Office of the Ombudsman afforded the respondents the opportunity to file their counter-affidavits. Among the respondents who filed their counter-affidavit was accused Ampatuan,” the Sandiganbayan said.

“Clearly, he was given the opportunity to participate and actually participated in the preliminary investigation. Wherefore, accused Ampatuan's Motion to Reconsider the Resolution dated October 1, 2019 is hereby denied for lack of merit,” it added.

As a result, the Sandiganbayan furnished the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) a copy of its decision for the implementation of the 90-day suspension order on Ampatuan.

The anti-graft court said that the suspension against Ampatuan would automatically be lifted upon the expiration of the 90-day period from the implementation of the Resolution.

Ampatuan is facing 128 counts of falsification of public documents and four counts each of malversation of public funds and graft charges on the allegation that he and his co-accused caused undue injury to the government when they made it appear that P72 million worth of public funds had been used to purchase construction and lumber materials for the school building repair—a purchase that turned out to be non-existent.

State prosecutors are also accusing Ampatuan of falsifying the disbursement vouchers to justify the use of public funds. —KBK, GMA News