Nueva Vizcaya mayor faces 10–22 years for using gov’t SUV as personal vehicle

The mayor of Alfonso Castañeda, Nueva Vizcaya has been slapped with a 10- to 22-year prison sentence after the Sandiganbayan found him guilty of using a government vehicle for personal purposes.

In an 18-page decision dated December 6, the Fifth Division convicted Mayor Jerry Pasigian for violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and malversation of public property. 

The graft charge comes with a penalty of six to 15 years' imprisonment, while Pasigian was sentenced to four years and five months to a maximum of seven years and four months, plus a fine of P453,214.29, in the malversation case.

He is also perpetually disqualified from holding public office.

The Sandiganbayan said it was proven Pasigian acted in bad faith when he purchased one 2003 Nissan Patrol unit worth P1.29 million from a certain Gilbert Arellano in April 2009 without public bidding.

The anti-graft court added that the evidence showed Pasigian refused to turn over the motor vehicle to the local government, had it registered under his name instead of the municipality, and used it for his benefit despite the expiration of his term on June 30, 2013.

The decision stated that Pasigian's signature in the purchase request, purchase order, disbursement voucher, check payment, and the inspection and acceptance report despite the lack of a public bidding is "highly irregular" and is "suggestive of accused's bad faith in pursuing the transaction."

The Sandiganbayan said Pasigian clearly favored Arellano when he specified the SUV and its specifications in the purchase request.

It noted that the local chief executive then attempted to sell the vehicle to a certain Ben Polig, who already paid him an initial amount of P250,000.

"Evident is accused's partiality towards Gilbert Arellano, the owner of the vehicle purchased, since it was only him who could possibly supply the vehicle intended to be purchased to be exclusion of other prospective bidders who may have offered an equivalent item at terms more advantageous to the municipality," the Sandiganbayan said.

The Sandiganbayan said Pasigian cannot hide under his lack of knowledge in the Government Procurement Law, noting it is his duty as mayor to familiarize himself with the law.

Pasigian was directed to pay the penalty representing the depreciated value of the vehicle from the time he returned it in June 2014.

Associate Justice Maryann Corpus-Manalac penned the decision, with the concurrence of Associate Justices Rafael Lagos and Maria Theresa Mendoza-Arcega. — BM, GMA News