Sandiganbayan affirms conviction of ex-DepEd execs over textbook scam

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan rejected the joint motion for reconsideration of two former Department of Education (DepEd) officials and upheld their conviction for corruption in relation to a P24-million textbook scam.

The court affirmed the imprisonment for up to 10 years of Emilia Aranas, former chief accountant of the education department in Eastern Visayas, and her colleague, chief budget and finance officer Ernesto Guiang, for processing falsified documents for the purchase of textbooks from Esteem Enterprises. —NIKKA G. VALENZUELA