Sandiganbayan upholds conviction of ex-AFP store manager over missing goods

MANILA, Philippines – The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has upheld the conviction of a former Armed Forces of the Philippines commissary manager for graft and malversation over the loss of merchandise from a military store in Isabela province, imposing jail terms of up to 22 years and a lifetime ban from public office.

The 4th Division of the Sandiganbayan affirmed the conviction of Norma Mendoza, former manager of the AFP Commissary and Exchange Service (AFPCES) at Camp Melchor dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela, for graft and malversation linked to over P560 thousand of missing merchandise in 2007.

Mendoza was sentenced to six to eight years for each of two counts of graft and two to six years for malversation, along with perpetual disqualification from public office and fines totaling more than P700 thousand.

In an April 8 decision by Associate Justice Arthur Malabaguio and concurred by Associate Justices Michael Frederick Musngi and J. Ermin Ernest Louie Miguel, the court set aside her conviction on one count of malversation and one count of falsification for lack of sufficient evidence.

The loss of goods was uncovered after a confidential tip was sent to Captain Preciliano Ruiz, AFPPCES commander and general manager in 2007, and led to an audit that found discrepancies in inventory records at the commissary.

During trial, a bookkeeper, Nemia Monterubio, testified that she acted on Mendoza’s instructions to manipulate stock records by adding figures to conceal shortages.

Monterubio testified that she was directed to add “1” to an inventory entry, turning one case into 11 cases in order to hide large shortages in storage.

The Sandiganbayan said Mendoza failed to account for the missing merchandise worth over P568,761 despite repeated requests to explain the discrepancy. – Rappler.com