By Benjamin Pulta
MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed the conviction of former Quezon City District III Councilor Dante De Guzman for graft involving more than PHP6 million worth of ghost projects.
In a 15-page decision made public Friday, the SC’s First Division affirmed the Sandiganbayan’s ruling that found De Guzman guilty of violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. (RA) 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Between 2008 to 2009, De Guzman facilitated the procurement of tents, kiddie raincoats, rain boots, food supplies and sports equipment for distribution to different barangays in his district.
Following a bidding process, suppliers were selected and paid after delivery of the items to De Guzman’s office.
However, an anonymous complaint received by the Office of the Ombudsman alleged the existence of ghost employees and ghost projects involving Quezon City councilors, including De Guzman.
Upon investigation, the Ombudsman found that while the items were delivered and received by De Guzman’s staff, they were never distributed to the intended beneficiaries listed in the official distribution records.
Instead, De Guzman made it appear that the goods were received by designated area coordinators, using what appeared to be falsified signatures.
De Guzman was charged with four counts of graft.
In his defense, he claimed that his signatures on the procurement documents had been forged.
However, the Sandiganbayan rejected this defense and found him guilty.
In affirming his conviction, the SC ruled that De Guzman’s gross negligence caused undue injury to the Quezon City government.
While he was not expected to personally distribute the items, he was responsible for ensuring they reached the intended recipients.
However, the items were never distributed and could no longer be accounted for.
The SC also dismissed De Guzman’s claim of forgery, noting that he failed to prove that the procurement documents, which are presumed authentic as official records, were falsified.
The SC sentenced him to eight years for each of the four counts of graft, and ordered to pay the Quezon City Government PHP6,411,261.01 plus 6 percent annual interest. (PNA)
