Sandiganbayan convicts Sajid Ampatuan of graft, fund misuse

Sandiganbayan building in Quezon City —File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer

ILIGAN CITY, Lanao del Norte, Philippines — Former Maguindanao Gov. Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan, who escaped conviction for the massacre of 58 people in November 2009, was recently found guilty by Sandiganbayan of graft and malversation of public funds.

In a 66-page decision promulgated on Oct. 18, 2024, the Third Division of the anti-graft court found Ampatuan guilty of graft and malversation of public funds for allowing the cash advance of up to P393 million to implement 22 farm-to-market road projects that were found to be mostly unimplemented.

The projects also did not undergo the required public bidding.

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The funds involved were part of the P550 million downloaded by the Department of Agrarian Reform to the then-provincial government of Maguindanao in 2009, P400 million for farm-to-market roads, and P150 million for agricultural supplies.

This photo taken on April 28, 2016, shows Shariff Aguak’s mayoral candidate Sajid Ampatuan listening to speeches along with his mother Bai Laila Ampatuan (right) during a campaign rally in Shariff Aguak town, Maguindanao province. —File photo from Agence France-Presse

Ampatuan was ordered to pay the government through the Bureau of Treasury the P393 million “representing the value of the amount malversed,” subject to an annual interest of 6 percent until fully paid.

Ampatuan was also meted a prison term of 8 to 12 years for graft and reclusion perpetua for malversation of public funds.

The decision stemmed from two criminal complaints filed against Ampatuan, Osmeña Bandila, then Maguindanao provincial treasurer, John Estelito Dollosa, then Maguindanao provincial accountant, and Danny Taki Calib, resident auditor of the Commission on Audit in the provincial government of Maguindanao.

The court acquitted Calib of the two charges. Bandila and Dollosa had gone at large, prompting the court to order the issuance of an arrest warrant against them.