Ex-AFP chief Villanueva charged with graft for alleged anomalous refund to NY-based courier

The Office of the Ombudsman has charged former Armed Forces chief Diomedio Villanueva for graft at the Sandiganbayan over an alleged anomalous P53-million refund he made to a New York-based company during his stint as postmaster general in 2003.

Based on the charge sheet, Villanueva is facing one count of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Co-accused in the case are former Assistant Postmaster General Antonio Siapno and then-Accounting Department acting director Leonido Basilio.

The case was in connection with the alleged anomalous refund of P53 million given by the PPC to Philpost USA, a New York-based corporation established for remailing services to American citizens using the Philippine Postage Indicia.

Based on the case information, Villanueva and his co-respondents allegedly conspired when they refunded $1 million or P53 million to the company as representation of Terminal Dues paid for mail matters sent to the Royal Mail in the United Kingdom.

The Ombudsman accused them of facilitating the refund despite knowing fully well that Philpost USA was not entitled to it, causing a deficit in revenue for PPC.

The same charge was earlier dismissed by the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division due to a "fatally defective" case information. 

The anti-graft court also denied the motion for reconsideration of the prosecution in the case.

However, the Ombudsman refiled the case since Villanueva has yet to be arraigned in the information junked by the Sandiganbayan.

A bail bond of P30,000 has been recommended for each of the respondents. — RSJ, GMA News