Ampatuan brothers plead not guilty in ghost projects case

This photo taken on April 28, 2016 shows former Maguindanao Governor Sajid Ampatuan listening to speeches along with his mother Bai Laila Ampatuan (R) during a campaign rally in Shariff Aguak town, Maguindanao province, in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. AFP PHOTO / MARK NAVALES

Former Maguindanao Governor Sajid Islam Ampatuan and former Datu Unsay town mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with various “ghost” infrastructure projects in the province in 2009.

Sajid was arraigned before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on eight counts each of falsification of public documents and violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. His brother Andal was likewise arraigned on eight counts of graft.

Sajid tried to seek the deferment of his arraignment due to his pending motion for reinvestigation of the case, but this was denied in open court on Tuesday.

READ: Sajid Ampatuan charged 161 times for Maguindanao ghost projects

Associate Justice Rafael Lagos, who chairs the Fifth Division, noted that the government incurred expenses to provide security to Andal, since he is currently detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City pending trial for the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre.

“Do you know how much the government is spending for his escorts?” Lagos told Sajid’s camp.

This specific set of cases, docketed SB-17-CRM-762 to SB-17-CRM-777, were filed over the fabrication of statements of work accomplished for eight unimplemented infrastructure projects valued at P23.36 million.

After the SWAs were approved from March to August 2009, the provincial government led by Sajid proceeded to award P22.37-million worth of contracts to a gas station owned by Andal, who was indicted as a private individual.

The contracts for the supply of fuel and lubricants purportedly for the implementation of the eight projects were all awarded to Shariff Aguak Petron Station without the required public bidding.

Prosecutors said this caused undue injury to the Maguindanao government and came at “the detriment of public service.”

Projects affected by the said anomalies include the P3.68-million project for the improvement of the Shariff Aguak municipal hall site and seven road rehabilitation projects in the capital and the towns of Rajah Buayan, Datu Saudi Ampatuan and Datu Piang.

Both Andal and Sajid were primary suspects in the killing of 58 persons, including 32 media workers, on Nov. 23, 2009 in one of the worst election incidents and press killings in history.

Sajid was released from detention on an P11.6-million bond due to insufficiency of evidence to deny him the right to bail, but Andal’s bail plea was denied. JE