Councilor who ‘cooked the books’ on drug busts nailed by Sandiganbayan

MANILA, Philippines—The Sandiganbayan convicted a former councilor from Zamboanga del Norte for faking a drug busts to claim money from the local government.

In a 9-page decision, Justice Edilberto Sandoval of the Sandiganbayan Second Division sentenced former councilor Ricardo Inding of Dapitan City to 6 to 10 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).

Inding was found to have ‘caused injury’ to the Government in the discharge of his official administrative functions.

Inding was also disqualification from ever holding public office. The councillor had scammed the city government worth P30,500, and was ordered to reimburse the city for the amount he pocketed.

Records showed that Inding faked drug busts against alleged drug pushers and users in 1997, and falsified documents for the reimbursement of the costs he allegedly incurred when making the busts.

The complaint stated that Inding made it appear that he headed the committee on illegal drugs of the city’s Sangguniang Panglunsod (SP).

However, it was discovered that no such committee existed.

According to the records, Inding chaired the committee on tourism and was also a member of the committees on youth and sports development, and on health and sanitation.

It was revealed that Inding made it appear that there were surveillance operations, test-buys and buy-busts done from January-August 1997 as reflected in his false confidential report.

Police records however disclosed that only two arrests were made during the said period, and none of these mentioned Inding, nor credited his so-called anti-drug drive for the arrests.

The Sandiganbayan said it saw through the scam when Inding submitted community tax certificates of fictitious anti-drug committee team members, whose dates of issuance did not tally with official records. He did this, ostensibly, to support his reimbursement claims which was issued by his cousin, barangay treasurer, Efrina Inding.