The Sandiganbayan Seventh Division has found former Consolacion, Cebu Mayor Avelino Gungob Sr. guilty of theft of minerals, and has fined him P20,000.
Gungob was convicted for using the municipality’s resources, such as dump trucks, backhoe and bulldozer to extract three truckloads of approximately 30 cubic meters of limestones and diorite, without any permit.
However, his coaccused, Glicerio Galo, Leonardo Gabato Capao Jr., Juanito Tubin Gernudio Jr., Beda Inoc Comiso, Nicarter Jemino Yray and Dionito Cavan Mangilaya were all acquitted after the prosecution failed to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
All seven were initially slapped with charges of violating Section 103 of Republic Act No. 7942, otherwise known as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.
The case stemmed from Gungob and his coaccused’s move to extract said minerals from Barangay Garing, Consolacion, Cebu. Since the minerals belong to the government and were extracted without a valid permit, the accused were charged with theft of the minerals.