Sandiganbayan orders Negros gov’s arrest

The Sandiganbayan Third Division has ordered the arrest of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and two other provincial government officials over the alleged misuse of P143.2 million in calamity funds in 2012.

In a 28- page resolution issued on Tuesday, the antigraft court said it found sufficient grounds to proceed with the trial of Degamo, provincial treasurer Danilo Mendez and accountant Teodorico Reyes for graft and 11 counts of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents.

The resolution was penned by Justice Amparo CabotajeTang. Associate Justices Sarah Jane Fernandez and Zaldy Trespesses concurred with the ruling.

The clerk of court said the warrants of arrest were issued also on Tuesday. The court set the bail at P2.23 million each or P2.2 million for malversation and P30,000 for graft.

According to the information on the cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman, the respondents proceeded with the award of 11 infrastructure contracts despite a notice from the Department of Budget and Management that it had recalled the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) after the provincial government failed to comply with the requirements and guidelines.

The Commission on Audit (COA) also issued 11 notices of disallowances after the funds were certified as available despite the withdrawal of the SARO.

The infrastructure projects were supposed to be built in areas hit by Typhoon Sendong in December 2011 and a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in February 2012.

The ombudsman found no merit in the motions of the respondents to dismiss the cases.

The court rejected the argument of the respondents that it should wait for the COA ruling on their appeal to the notices of disallowance.