‘Umali’s graft sentence does not tarnish Aquino’s anticorruption drive’

Malacañang on Tuesday said Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso Umali Jr. being sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for graft wouldn’t tarnish the “daang matuwid” campaign of President Benigno Aquino III.

Former Oriental Mindoro Rep. Rodolfo G. Valencia (left) and Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso Umali Jr.

“In our view, it does not diminish the President’s tough stance on anticorruption,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing.

Instead, Valte said it showed that under the Aquino administration, no one was exempt from being investigated and undergoing court procedures.

READ: President’s party mate Governor Umali gets 10 years for graft

Valte said it was up to Umali’s legal team to pursue legal remedies. Umali earlier told media that he would file a motion for reconsideration. He insisted that his job at that time, as provincial administrator, was “only ministerial.”

Umali, who is the Liberal Party treasurer, is found guilty by the Sandiganbayan of illegally facilitating a P2.5-million loan to a ship owner in 1994. Also convicted were former Oriental Mindoro Rep. Rodolfo Valencia and former board member Romualdo Bawasanta.

At that time, Valencia was the governor and Umali the administrator of the provincial government, which approved the irregular loan for the repair, operation and maintenance of a passenger vessel owned by Alfredo Atienza. RC