Former Maguindanao governor Sajid Ampatuan has been found guilty of multiple counts of graft, malversation, and falsification of public documents, the Sandiganyan said.
The Sandiganbayan also said the decision is “final and executory.”
This developed after the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division, in an April 20 resolution, junked Ampatuan’s Motion To Reinstate the Right of the Accused to Avail of Post-Conviction Remedies due to lack of merit, GMA News reported.
The Sandiganbayan ruling said Ampatuan failed to comply with the requirements needed to avail of such remedy under the Rules of Court, namely that he must first surrender to the Court within 15 days from the date of the promulgation of judgment, and to show that his absence during the February 9 promulgation was for a justifiable cause.
“Accused Ampatuan had fifteen (15) days from February 13, 2023, or until February 28, 2023, within which to surrender and file a motion for leave of court to avail of the remedies. Although accused Ampatuan filed his instant Motion well within the said period, he has not yet surrendered to the Court,” the Sandiganbayan, quoted by GMA News, said.
“Thus, the requirements for allowing a convicted accused to regain standing and to avail of the remedies under the Rules of Court have not been complied with. There being no motion for reconsideration or notice of appeal filed within the said 15-day period, the Court’s judgment has now become final and executory,” it added.
The Sandiganbayan likewise reiterated its directive for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against Ampatuan for the said cases, which were in connection with bogus school projects in 2009 worth P72 million.
Ampatuan was found guilty of four counts of graft with a jail sentence of six to 10 years for each count; four counts of malversation of public funds with 17 to 18 years jail time for each count; and 126 counts of falsification of public documents, which carry a sentence of six to seven years for each count.
The conviction also carried penalties and perpetual disqualification from public office.
For his malversation charges, the Sandiganbayan also ordered Ampatuan to pay a P62-million fine representing the amount of misused public funds.
Aside from these penalties, the anti-graft court also slapped Ampatuan with civil liabilities worth P62 million payable to the Maguindanao provincial government.
