Tuesday, September 09, 2008
2 lawmakers sentenced for graft (3:25 p.m.)
MANILA -- Two congressmen from Oriental Mindoro province were convicted on Tuesday by the Sandiganbayan of graft charges.
The charges involve the illegal disbursement of P2.5 million from the provincial government's coffers for the repair of a private sea vessel in 1994.
Representatives Rodolfo Valencia and Alfonso Umali Jr. of Oriental Mindoro's first and second districts, respectively, were sentenced to a jail term of up to 10 years.
They were also permanently disqualified from holding any government position in the future.
The same penalties were meted out by the court to their co-accused government officials Pedrito Reyes, Jose Enriquez and Jose Leynes and private accused Alfredo Atienza, the owner of the questioned vessel.
House Speaker Prospero Nograles expressed sympathy for Umali and Valencia, who is a member of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats where the Speaker concurrently sits as the national president.
"We are saddened by the news about our colleagues in the House. But since this is purely judicial proceedings, we await the finality of the decision as the accused still have the right to appeal the verdict," Nograles said.
Under the rules, the two incumbent lawmakers and their co-accused have 15 days to file a motion for reconsideration. (Sunnex) |
