Syjuco fined P17-k over PDAF fund misuse as Sandigan okays plea deal

Former Iloilo Representative Augusto Syjuco was fined a mere P17,000 after he pleaded guilty to lesser offenses instead of the graft and malversation charges leveled against him in connection with the misuse of his P4.3 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

This Sandiganbayan First Division approved the plea-bargain deal which downgraded the malversation and graft charges against Syjuco to Fraud Against Public Treasury under the Revised Penal Code, violation of Government Auditing Code of the Philippines, and Failure of the Accountable Office to Render Account under the Revised Penal Code.

The case stemmed from a P4.3 million contract Syjuco entered into with non-government organization Tagipusuon Foundation for a supposed district-wide poultry breeding and production project.

“In addition to the spontaneous, open court admission of liability by both accused, the evidence, both testimonial and ·documentary, already presented by the prosecution as well as the documents which are part of the records of these cases supports the plea of guilty and establishes the guilt beyond reasonable doubt of both accused,” the court said in its decision dated July 31 but only released this week.

The penalty for committing Fraud Against Public Treasury under the Revised Penal Code was P10,000; while the violation of Government Auditing Code of the Philippines carried a paltry P1,000 penalty.

The fine for the Failure of the Accountable Office to Render Account, on the other hand, was worth P6,000.

Syjuco’s co-accused in the case, Eduardo Lecciones Jr., also secured a plea bargain deal under similar terms.

Likewise, the anti-graft court ruled that since the amounts released to Tagipusuon Foundation, Inc. had been fully liquidated, Syjuco and his co-accused Lecciones had no civil liability.

With the approval of the plea bargain deal, the Sandiganbayan also lifted the Hold Departure Order issued by the anti-graft court on the accused and ordered the bonds posted by accused for their temporary liberty during the pendency of these cases were released subject to the usual accounting procedures.

Lastly, the court also ordered the release of the travel bond which the accused posted in relation to his foreign travels once proof of payment of the fines was presented. — DVM, GMA News