'Jessica Francisco' camp denies she is 'dead' suspect in P24-M textbook scam

The camp of Jessica Francisco has denied that she is Mary Ann Maslog, the suspect in the P24-million textbook procurement anomaly in 1998 who was presumed dead, Unang Balita reported on Friday.

Francisco personally appeared before the Sandiganbayan during a hearing on Thursday. 

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) previously said that Maslog and Francisco are the same person through fingerprint matching.

The Sandiganbayan has tasked the NBI to procure the NBI agent who conducted the fingerprint examination as well as their evidence and witnesses for the next hearing on October 28 and 29.

Francisco’s camp was also directed to prepare their evidence that she is not Maslog.

Meanwhile, the court issued an order for Francisco to be detained at the NBI. 

Maslog, who was a publishing company agent, and two Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (now Department of Education) officials were charged with graft in connection with the scam.

The Office of the Ombudsman earlier claimed that the two DECS officials processed and approved documents of the P24-million supply contract for textbooks in favor of Esteem Enterprises, represented by Maslog.

The two former officials were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in 2020 while the case against Maslog was ordered dismissed due to her alleged death in 2019.

The NBI said they arrested Francisco in September. —Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK, GMA Integrated News