Former Zambo Sibugay vice gov convicted of graft, malversation

Former Zamboanga Sibugay Vice Governor Eugenio Famor has been convicted of graft and malversation through falsification by the Sandiganbayan First Division, and has been sentenced to a minimum of 120 years imprisonment and a maximum of 194 years.

He was convicted along with local government employees Daylinda Balbosa and Erlinda Albelda for receiving different amounts of cash amounting to P593,500 for the Aid to the Poor Program from August 2001 up to January 2002, even though the beneficiaries were non-existent.

The Aid to the Poor Program was supposed to provide prompt solution to help struggling local residents, and the project was entrusted to the office of the vice governor.

The vice governor was allowed to advance the money first to hand out to beneficiaries, and he will later be reimbursed by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO).

Throughout his time in office, Famor made seven advances that intended to help 131 beneficiaries. But after the Commission on Audit (COA) inspected the Aid to the Poor program, which was stopped on February 2002, several irregularities popped up.

"It would appear that out of the 131 allegedly fictitious beneficiaries, only one beneficiary, under the name of 'Paterno Paradia,' exists," the 73-page resolution read.

In its ruling, the court found Famor, Balbosa and Albelda guilty of their charges. "At the onset, the transactions surrounding the reimbursements are already replete with irregularities, which would lead a reasonable man to believe that indeed, these transactions were tainted with bad faith," the resolution read.

The most decisive factor for the court to convict Famor and his employees was the fact that the COA, in spite all of its efforts, was unable to locate any of the 131 beneficiaries of the program. Paradia, the only one identified, did not respond to the requests made by the COA, nor did he testify about receiving aid from Famor.

While Famor argued that the beneficiaries do not possess properties or hold permanent jobs in his province, and therefore could not be found in the barangays, the court found it highly unlikely.