Sandiganbayan revives P89M ghost deliveries of PAF supplies
IT took many years but the Sandiganbayan said it still intends to start hearings on six counts of graft filed against an accused who was implicated in the alleged ghost deliveries of P89 million worth of “supplies and materials” for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) way back 1994.
In a 15-page resolution dated August 15, 2024, the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division denied the motion to quash filed by accused Danilo Pangilinan, who was named the private defendant together with top PAF officials when the cases were filed in 2009.
Among those originally indicted by the Office of the Ombudsman were former PAF Commanding General Leopold Acot, Brig. Gen. Ildefonso Dulinayan, Lt. Col. Santiago Ramirez, Lt. Col. Cesar Cariño, Maj. Proceso Sabado, Maj. Pacquito Cuenca, 1Lt. Marcelino Morales, M/Sgt. Atulfo Tampolino, Remedios Diaz, Jose Gadin, Jr., Glenn Orquiola, Herminigilda Llave, Gloria Bayona, and Ramon Bayona Jr.
The cases were based on findings from the Office of the Inspector General (OTIG) and the audit of the Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff for Comptrollership that there were “ghost deliveries of assorted supplies and materials” in one of its units.
The same findings said the ghost deliveries were worth P24.43 million and traced to the 5th Fighter Wing Basa Air Base in addition to “unaccounted supplies and materials worth P42,592,257.61.”
These were forwarded, together with available records, to the Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices (MOLEO) in February 1995.
On July 10, 1996, a recommendation for the filing of graft charges was submitted by the graft investigation officer and was approved by then Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro.
But in 1998, then Special Prosecutor Leonardo Tamayo recommended the dropping of the charges only to be reviewed and reversed in 2003 when Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo took over.
Curiously, it was not until October 6, 2009 that the six information for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act were filed with the Sandiganbayan.
The many years of delay in the investigation became the basis for the dismissal of the cases by the Sandiganbayan in 2010. This was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2016.
On May
