Former Camarines Norte Governor Jesus Typoco Jr. SCREENGRAB from Facebook

A former governor of Camarines Norte was found guilty of falsification of public documents in connection with the procurement of medical supplies worth P1.645 million for the provincial hospital in 2005.

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In a 30-page resolution promulgated by the Sandiganbayan First Division, former Governor Jesus Typoco Jr. and former officer-in-charge of the Provincial General Service Office Noel Reyes were sentenced to a minimum of two years and four months to a maximum of eight years of imprisonment and was ordered to each pay a fine of P2,000.
Based on the resolution penned by Associate Justice Rodolfo Ponferrada, Typoco and Reyes “acted in conspiracy” to alter the date of purchase of medical supplies intended for the Camarines Norte Provincial Hospital.

The purchase of the medical supplies was part of the Medical Indigency Program of the province to provide its constituents with medicines and hospitalization services. Typoco authorized the procurement of medical supplies amounting to P 1.645 million.

The prosecution said that Typoco and Reyes changed the original date of the purchase order from April 21, 2005 to May 20, 2005 “to conceal that an order has been made with Cabrera’s Drug Store and Medical Supplies prior to the bidding conducted on May 18, 2005.”
“This alteration or change in the original date of the subject PO (purchase order) constitutes falsification of official document because it affected not only its veracity but it also changed the time when it was prepared and approved to make the document speak something false…when in truth and fact the PO in question was already approved on April 21 without any public bidding,” the Sandigabayan ruled.

The anti-graft court, however, acquitted Aida Pandeagua (Buyer II), Angelina Cabrera (representative of supplier Cabrera’s Drugstore and Medical Supply) and Arnulfo Salangoste (Provincial Health Officer).

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The Office of the Ombudsman has earlier indicted Typoco for graft over his alleged involvement in the fertilizer fund scam in 2004. RAM