THE Sandiganbayan sentenced on Monday former Sarangani Gov. Miguel Escobar and his provincial agriculturist to 18 years in prison for malversation of P1.44 million in public funds that were meant to help farmers suffering from the La Niña episode 14 years ago.
In a 23-page order penned by Associate Justice Alex Quiroz, the anti-graft court’s Special Third Division also convicted former provincial agriculturist Romeo Miole of diverting agricultural relief items to Escobar’s political supporters, and not to the farmers.
In a vote of 3-2, the Sandiganbayan sentenced Escobar and Miole to a minimum imprisonment of 10 years to a maximum imprisonment of 18 years and fined each of them P1.44 million.
Escobar and Miole were also meted out with the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding any government position.
In 2001, the provincial government established the Sagip Taniman program to help farmers whose agricultural crops were damaged by strong typhoons and floods due to La Niña through the distribution of sacks of hybrid rice and corn seeds.
Based on documents obtained from the provincial government, at least 1,875 sacks of rice grains, and 240 sacks of hybrid corn and rice seeds were given away to the affected farmers as well as to the indigenous peoples in the area.
A year later, some farmers and tribal leaders surfaced and sought help from the provincial government, citing they were not able to receive any help from the local government. The Commission on Audit was prompted to conduct a probe of the program.
It said the supply contract for the agricultural relief items was awarded to a supplier who was not accredited by the National Food Authority.
In addition, Escobar failed to identify the target areas where the hybrid corn and rice were planted.
“The annual audit report… reveals that the actual recipients were mostly government officials of Sarangani province and not farmers and fisherfolks who were victims of the flashflood,” the court’s decision read.
“The RIVs [requisition and issuance vouchers] submitted by the [Office of the Provincial Agriculturist] showed that the sacks of rice were indeed distributed to municipal and barangay officials on June 30, 2002, one week before the barangay election.”