Dfia.la.glr.

'Business Insight
'Thursday,
June 20, 2019

Sandiganbayan asked to dismiss

cases vs late Benguet lawmaket
EYPETER BII{GO
THE Sandiganbayan has been asked
to dismiss multiple criminal charges
against the late Benguet Rep. Samuel
D=*g*^ ot .t alleged mishandling of
his Priority Assistance Development
Fund PDAF).
Ina motion 6led lastJune l3,lawyers
for Dangrva notified dre Third Division
of his passing on APrd3,2019 aket a
l lingering sicl<ness.
, Dangwa was accused of consPiracY
with exicutives of government-owned
ot controllod corporations (GOCQ
and officers of dubious non-govern-
ment organizations linked to plunder
convict lanet Lim NaPoles in the
mishandliog of his P54 million PDAF.
Prosecutors from the Of6ce of the
Ombudsman said ftom 2007 to 2009,
Dangwa's PDAF allocations we re
coursed through the National Agri-
Business Corp (I'{abcor), Technology
Resource Cenler (IRQ, and National
Livelihood and DeveloPmeht'CorP
(NLDO which in turn funneled the
monev inro NGOs Linked to Napoles.
Thi funds $/ete ostensibly intended
for the implemenation of Livelihood
proiects and distribution of agriculiural
;;;i;;Li;;To-"-."6;.8r""'ra
families in the lawrnaker's legislative
district but govemment auditors said
there was scant proof that drc moneY
vas spent ProPedY.
Dangrra was charged vrith six counts
each oisraft and mal\ersation of pub-
lic filndiin addition to five counts of
direct bribiry
In seeking the dismissal of ttrc durges'
defense lawyers noted drat the prosecu-
tion's oresentation of evidence has not
been ioncluded and a iudgrnent of ac-
quitul or conviction is still some way off

o paqn -tsgt,