By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
THE 6TH division of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan slapped a former Bukidnon mayor with a maximum eight-year imprisonment sentence for graft.
Convicted and ordered imprisoned for six to eight years is former Manolo Fortich town mayor Rogelio Narvasa Quiño.
The court, however, dismissed the case against the ex-mayor’s former budget officer Cecilia Quino Rejas, and mechanical municipal shop foreman Antonio Narvasa Quino.
Signing the Oct. 25, 2019, Sandiganbayan decision were Associate Justices Sarah Jane Fernandez, Kevin NarceVeviro and Karl Miranda.
In the 45-page ruling, the Sandiganbayan also slapped Quiño with perpetual disqualification from public service.
The case was filed om 2014 by the Office of the Ombudsman based on a complaint filed by one Diosado Ditona on June 12, 2012.
In his complaint, Ditona said Antonio Narvasa Quino served as a shop foreman of Manolo Fortich as a casual employee with a daily wage of P474.09 on June 1, 2008.
Ditona said Antonio’s contract was renewed by the then mayor from July 1, 2008 to Dec. 31, 2008, but his wage increased to P591.86 a day.
He said the contract was renewed again on Jan. 1, 2009 to Sept. 30, 2010, and the daily wage shot up to P731.50. He said Antonio continued to receive the amount until Dec. 24, 2010.
By Jan. 1, 2011 up to April 11, 2012, Antonio Quino’s wage as municipal mechanical shop foreman increased to P838.22.
Ditona said that from March 26, 2012 to April 11, 2012, Antonio’s daily wage increased to P1,157.90 under Salary Grade 18.
On Nov. 4, 2014, the ombudsman brought Quino, Rejas and Antonio Quino to the anti-graft court.
Subsequently, the Sansiganbayan stated that there was no basis for the wage increases of Antonio, and the “wholesale” violation of the Local Government Code, a Department of Budget and Management rule and local ordinances was “inexcusable.”
“From the Court’s standpoint, the negligence displayed by accused Mayor Quino, and the breach of duty committed were such nature and degree so as to be considered brazen, flagrant, and palpable. The negligence committed by Mayor Quino is both gross and inexcusable,” the court stated.
But the court stated that the ombudsman failed to show that the ex-mayor, the budget officer and the worker conspired.
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