Sajid Ampatuan charged anew over P38-M school repair project

A new set of charges has been filed against former governor and Maguindanao massacre suspect Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan and six others over the alleged anomalous purchase of materials for a school building repair worth P38 million from 2008-2009.

Sajid, along with then-provincial accountant John Estelito Dollosa Jr., Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairman Kasan Macapendeg and members: provincial treasurer Osmeña Bandila, provincial administrator Engr. Norie Unas, provincial engineers Datu Ali Abpi, Al Haj and Landap Guinaid, was charged with one count each of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and malversation of public funds, and 73 counts of falsification of public documents.

In the charge sheets filed with the Sandiganbayan, the Ombudsman alleged that Sajid, in conspiracy with his co-respondents, caused "undue injury" to the government when it supposedly purchase construction and lumber materials worth P38,129,117 from Abo Lumberyard and Construction Supply for the repair of school building in Maguindanao.

The purchases, however, were not actually made, the Ombudsman said, because the supplier was "fictitious and/or non-existent."

The Ombudsman also accused the respondents of "willfully, unlawfully and feloniously" taking, misappropriating or appropriating the said amount into themselves.

The said amount was disbursed through 73 individual disbursement vouchers, which the Ombudsman alleged the respondents of falsifying by making an "untruthful statement in the narration of facts."

The Ombudsman said the respondents made it appear that the public funds were paid to Abo Lumberyard and Construction Supply, "when in truth and fact... no purchase was made as the purported supplier... is a fictitious and non-existing entity."

A total of P1,822,000 bail was recommended for each respondent --- P30,000 for graft, P40,000 for malversation, and P24,000 for each count of falsification.

This is the third set of charges lodged against Sajid before the Sandiganbayan.

Earlier, he and his six co-respondents were charged with graft, malversation and falsification of public documents over the alleged anomalous purchase of food supplies worth P16.32 million in 2009.

Before that, they were also charged with graft, malversation of public funds and falsification of public documents over the alleged anomalous purchase of construction materials from four other "ghost" suppliers for the repair of school building in Maguindanao, also in 2009.

Sajid, Guinaid, Dollosa, Bandila and former Datu Unsay, Maguindanao mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. were also charged with graft for allegedly giving “unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference” to Shariff Aguak Petron Station when they awarded the company the supply of fuel and lubricants totaling to P22.37 million for the road and construction projects in the province without public bidding.

Andal Jr., Sajid’s brother and also a massacre suspect, was the owner of Shariff Aguak Petron Station.

Sajid and Guinaid, along with six engineers, were also charged with falsification of public documents over the said projects which, the Ombudsman said, were actually unimplemented.

Sajid and Andal Jr. came to national attention after they were named suspects in the worst case of election-related violence in Philippine history --- the Maguindanao Massacre on November 23, 2009, which left 58 people, including 32 journalist, dead.

Andal Sr., their father and fellow massacre suspect, died on July 17, 2015 at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City. — RSJ, GMA News