Arraignment of accused in 2009 PDAF case reset to Aug. 6

MANILA, Philippines — The arraignment of a P2.9-million graft case of two former National Livelihood Development Corp. officials related to Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam was reset to August 6.

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division made the order on Wednesday as the court took into consideration the respective motion to quash filed by Gondelina Amata and Gregoria Garcia Buenaventura.

Amata filed the motion to quash with a prayer to defer the arraignment on Tuesday, while Buenaventura filed an omnibus motion to quash and/or to dismiss the case as well as the motion to defer the arraignment on Monday.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Sandigan convicts Napoles, ex-NLDC exec of graft in Honasan’s PDAF case

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

A motion to quash is filed before an accused enters his or her plea to challenge the validity of the Information containing the allegations against him or her.

Once a motion to quash is grabted, its effect is the dismissal of the criminal case.

The Office of the Ombudsman said former NLDC officials, “acting with evident bad faith, manifest partiality or gross inexcusable negligence” when they selected Kalusugan Alay sa Masa Foundation, Inc. (KKAMFI) as a non-government organization project partner without conducting the required accreditation and selection process.

The PDAF was released in 2009 to fund the KKAMFI project in the 2nd District of Davao del Sur, but state prosecutors said it was not implemented.

Article continues after this advertisement

State prosecutors said Amata and Buenaventura were charged with graft for “preparing and submitting spurious documents to make it appear that the project was implemented, when in truth and in fact said project was not implemented, and misappropriating the P2,910,000.00 to the damage and prejudice of the government in the said amount.”

Amata, along with businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, was already convicted of graft and malversation by the Sandiganbayan Special Third Division last year, as the court found them guilty of committing falsification of official documents in connection with former Sen. Gregorio Honasan II’s PDAF. /das

Article continues after this advertisement

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.