Officials Convicted for PDAF Misuse in Oriental Mindoro
Former Oriental Mindoro congressman Rodolfo G. Valencia and businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles have been convicted for graft involving the misuse of a P6.5-million priority development assistance fund (PDAF) allocated in 2013. The court found both Valencia and Napoles guilty of three counts of graft linked to the misappropriation of these funds.
Alongside them, former Technology Resource Center (TRC) officials Dennis L. Cunanan and Maria Rosalinda M. Lacsamana were convicted for two counts each. Each count carried a sentence of six to 10 years imprisonment, along with a permanent disqualification from holding public office.
Sentencing and Financial Restitution Orders
Napoles was also ordered to compensate the government and return a total of P6,510,000. This amount represents the full value of the funds that were illegally released under Valencia’s PDAF. The funds were supposed to support livelihood projects but were instead diverted.
Meanwhile, several former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) officials, including Mario L. Relempagos, Consuelo Lilian R. Espiritu, Francisco B. Figura, and Marivic V. Jover, were acquitted due to reasonable doubt. They were cleared of graft but also acquitted of malversation charges along with other accused individuals.
Details of the Case and Court Ruling
The case originated from the release of Valencia’s P6.5 million PDAF to the Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation (MAMFI), a non-government organization owned by Napoles. This NGO was designated as the “project partner” for various livelihood initiatives in Oriental Mindoro’s 1st District.
The anti-graft court described the actions of Valencia, Cunanan, Lacsamana, and Napoles as a “conspiracy of silence and inaction.” Their positions and duties under the law, the court noted, made their negligence grossly inexcusable. It was through their combined participation that the PDAF funds were unlawfully released.
“With the release of the PDAF fund to MAMFI that eventually ended up with Napoles, the government lost a total of P6,510,000 causing actual damage to the government for projects expended but not implemented,” the court ruled.
The 173-page decision was penned by Associate Justice Ma. Theresa Dolores C. Gomez-Estoesta, with support from Associate Justices Zaldy V. Trespeses and Georgina D. Hidalgo.
Ongoing Proceedings and Acquittals
Criminal cases against other involved parties, such as Antonio Y. Ortiz and Alan A. Javellana, remain archived pending their arrest. Various officials, including paralegal Victor Roman C. Cacal and National Agribusiness Corporation officers, were acquitted of malversation charges.
This ruling highlights the continuing efforts to hold public officials accountable for corruption related to the misuse of PDAF funds, a key issue in government transparency and public trust.
For more news and updates on priority development assistance fund misuse, visit Filipinokami.com.