Ex-PCGG chair Sabio’s appeal of court conviction opposed

Ex-PCGG Chair Camilo Sabio. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

State prosecutors blocked the appeal of former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) chairperson Camilo Sabio, who was convicted by the Sandiganbayan for an irregular P12.13-million car lease deal.

Sabio was convicted for two counts of graft for leasing 11 vehicles from United Coconut Planters Bank Leasing and Finance Corp. (ULFC) in 2007 and 2009 without public bidding.

READ: Sandiganbayan finds former PCGG chair guilty of graft 

The court questioned the need for the lease deal when PCGG already owned 27 vehicles, and that there was no allotment for the vehicle leases under the PCGG’s budget.

“We are left with the incontrovertible conclusion that Sabio was motivated by ‘a dishonest purpose or some moral obliquity and conscious doing of a wrong,’” the court said in its decision.

In its comment opposition, the Office of the Special Prosecutor said there is no “cogent reason… to disturb the findings” of the anti-graft court when it earlier sentenced Sabio to at most 20 years for graft.

The prosecution belied Sabio’s claim in his appeal that the mandate of the PCGG is so vital it is “vested with extraordinary constitutional and legal powers” thus allowing the commission to enter into deals without the necessary procurement requirements.

The prosecution said the vehicle lease deal was done “outside the ambit of extraordinary situations” enumerated in the PCGG charter and procurement law.

“From the power and authority of the PCGG, nothing is indicated that would justify the urgency of the service vehicles under the lease agreement,” the prosecution said.

The prosecution maintained the lease contract was irregular because it was entered into without public bidding in violation of the procurement law.

While Sabio said as a member of the Cabinet, his acts “performed and promulgated in the regular course of business are also considered acts of the President unless disapproved,” the prosecutors said this defense is “untenable” because there is no proof Sabio sought the President’s consent before entering into the car lease deal.

“Be that as it may, it must be stressed that the law on procurement should have been followed by the accused,” the prosecution said.

“Hence, there is no cogent reason to disturb the findings of this Honorable Court,” it added.

Sabio was recently charged with fresh charges of malversation of public funds for allegedly embezzling P632,428.03 in cash advances for his personal use and benefit.

READ: Ex-PCGG chair Sabio charged for embezzling cash advances

Sabio also faces two separate counts of graft for attempting to influence his younger brother, the late Court of Appeals (CA) justice Jose Sabio, in an ownership row before the appellate court.

READ: Ex-PCGG chair Sabio charged with graft for influence peddling 

Sabio had been acquitted of graft and malversation in connection with the charge of pocketing almost P12 million worth of ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family as PCGG chair.

He was cleared of the charges that he embezzled P10.35 million remittances from the Mid-Pasig Land Development Corp. and from the sale of the A. Soriano Corp., both firms sequestered from the Marcoses; and of embezzling P1.5 million cash advances for a trip in Malaysia which he supposedly failed to liquidate. IDL

READ: Sandiganbayan acquits ex-PCGG chair Sabio of graft, malversation