Sandiganbayan convicts water execs for excessive salary

The Sandiganbayan has convicted two former executives of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD) for graft for raising the salary of the former general manager without proper authority.

In a statement issued to media Friday, the anti-graft court said it found Ranulfo Feliciano, former general manager of LMWD, and Cesar Aquitania, former member of the agency’s Board of Directors guilty of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

In a decision promulgated on Jan. 27, 2015, the Sandiganbayan found that the former Board issued Resolution No. 98-33 approving the salary increase of Feliciano from P18,749.00/month to P57,146.00/month without authority and in total disregard of the prescribed compensation based on the Plantilla of Personnel authorized by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).  The anti-graft court also found that Feliciano approved and received the salary increase in the total amount of P506,246.26.

The decision stated that “the compensation rates of the officers and personnel of the LMWD must conform with the salary schedule being implemented by the DBM pursuant to the provision of Republic Act No. 6758, or the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989.”

The court sentenced Feliciano and Aquitania to a jail term of  six to 10 years for graft. Feliciano was also sentenced to a 10-year jail term for committing malversation and to pay a fine of P506,246.22. Both were also barred from holding public office.

Co-accused former BOD members Honorio Gerez, Concepcion Medalla, Virginia Flores, Franklin Sicoy and Accounting Section Head Virginia Jo Abayata died during the pendency of the case, the statement added.