Ex-Cotabato congressman found guilty of graft, malversation

The Sandiganbayan has sentenced former North Cotabato second district Representative Gregorio Ipong with up to 27 years of imprisonment for graft and malversation over his disbursement of P4.9 million in pork barrel funds in 2007.

In a 52-page decision promulgated on September 13, the Anti-Graft Court found Ipong, then Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC) Deputy Director Dennis Cunanan, and then TLRC chief accountant Marivic Jover guilty beyond reasonable doubt for violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

They were sentenced to a minimum imprisonment of six years and one month and maximum imprisonment of 10 years with perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

“The evidence on record unequivocally established the elements of manifest partiality, evident bad faith, and, at the very least, gross inexcusable negligence on the part of the accused,” it said.

Meanwhile, Ipong, Cunanan, and Jover were also found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of malversation of public funds under Article 127 of the Revised Penal Code.

They are sentenced to a minimum imprisonment of 10 years and one day to a maximum imprisonment of 17 years and four months, and one day.

Further, they are also ordered to pay a fine of P4.9 million with a legal interest of 6% per annum reckoned from the finality of this decision until full satisfaction.

Meanwhile, the Court ordered the issuance of an alias arrest warrant against TLRC Director General Antonio Ortiz and Aaron Foundation Philippines Inc. (AFPI) president Aaron Alfredo Ronquillo, who remains at large.

According to the Court, Ipong disregarded the policies of the Commission on Audit when he allowed the anomalous disbursement of his priority development assistance funds (PDAF) to a project of the Aaron Foundation Philippines Inc. (AFPI), a non-governmental organization.

“Indeed, nothing demonstrates manifest partiality and evident bad faith more than the above narrative showing unerringly the cavalier manner by which AFPI was chosen by accused Ipong,” it said.

“As a member of the House of Representatives, accused must know that the AFPI should have initially gone through accreditation before being appointed as the implementer of his PDAF-funded project,” it added.

The Court said Cunanan and Jover also played indispensable roles that led to the processing and remittance of the PDAF to the AFPI.

It pointed out that under a COA circular, the NGO should be based where the project should be implemented. However, the AFPI is based in Tondo while Ipong’s PDAF was intended for North Cotabato.

Further, the circular also states that the TLRC may only accredit AFPI after proper verification. However, it said the AFPI’s postal address turned out to be a vacant lot used for storing items and had no permit to operate.

“Despite these deficiencies, TLRC still accredited AFPI and even proceeded to release in its favor accused Ipong’s PDAF allocation. The Court thus finds TLRC to have miserably failed in its duty in observing properly the requirements under COA,” it said.

GMA News Online reached out to Ipong for his reaction but has yet to receive a reply as of posting time.—LDF, GMA News