Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 9) – Leyte 3rd District representative Eduardo Veloso and former Technology and Resource Center (TRC) legislative liaison officer Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana were guilty of graft and malversation over the misuse of over P24 million in pork barrel.
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In a decision handed down by the Sandiganbayan on Monday, Veloso and Lacsamana were sentenced to a minimum of 36 years to a maximum of 56 years imprisonment.
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“The court arrives at the inevitable conclusion that Veloso and Lacsamana acted with unity of purpose and through manifest partiality and evident bad faith,” the anti-graft court’s first division said.
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The two faced graft and malversation charges over the misuse of Veloso’s P24.2-million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in 2007.
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Veloso was accused of exclusively endorsing the TRC as implementing agency and Aaron Foundation Philippines Inc. (AARON) as a partner non-government organization for programs which turned out fictitious.
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AARON was also found unqualified and unaccredited.
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“It is not disputed that AARON failed to implement the supposed livelihood programs which were funded by Veloso’s PDAF. To put it bluntly, nothing came out of the P24 million PDAF allocation,” the court said.
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The court also ordered Veloso and Lacsamana to return to the government P24.2 million or the amount misused. They are also supposed to pay a fine for the same amount.
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The court also ordered that the bonds for Veloso and Lacsamana’s bail be doubled, pending finality of the decision.
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Veloso and Lacsamana were present at the promulgation. They refused to comment on the ruling.
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