3 ex-TLRC execs convicted for graft
THE Sandiganbayan has convicted three former officials of the state-run Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC) for malversation of public funds and graft arising from the illegal disbursement of P4.8 million worth of government money to an unqualified non-government organization (NGO).
Meanwhile, three officials of the Department of Agriculture face graft investigation for their alleged involvement in the manipulation of onion prices in 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Friday.
Sentenced to long prison terms were ex-TLRC Deputy Director General Dennis Cunanan, chief accountant Marivic Jover, and sales and promotion supervisor Belina Concepcion, They were each given 1o to 18 years of incarceration for malversation of public funds, plus six to 10 more years of jail time for graft.
In addition, they were perpetually banned from holding public office.
In a 72-page decision dated October 9, the Sandiganbayan said these individuals allowed the transfer of P4.8 million of public funds, a discretionary fund or pork barrel of former Palawan Representative Antonio Alvarez, to NGO Kalinga sa Kapwa at Kalikasan Foundation, Inc. (KKKFI) without reviewing the grantees qualifications and without public bidding.
“With the individual and collective actions of accused Cunanan, Concepcion and Jover, the funds were illegally released to KKKFI. The release of the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) would not have been possible if not for the signatures and individual participation of the accused in the said transaction,” the anti-graft court ruled.
“In these cases, the prosecution has sufficiently established that the PDAF funds released to [NGO] KKKFI (Kalinga sa Kapwa at Kalikasan Foundation, Inc.) amounting to P4.8 million for the implementation of the livelihood projects of the First District of Palawan remain unliquidated and that the livelihood project was never implemented,” the Sandiganbayan pointed out.
“Accused Cunanan should not have merely relied on the findings of the other TLRC/TRC officials as he should have personally verified the documents attached in the disbursement voucher. It is [also] evident from the records that even the duty
