Sandiganbayan orders suspension of Pampanga mayor over Malampaya fund scam

MANILA, Philippines – The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has issued a 90-day suspension order against Candaba, Pampanga Mayor Rene Maglanque in relation to nearly 200 criminal charges stemming from the Malampaya fund scam.

In the suspension order dated January 19, Sandiganbayan Third Division associate justices Ronald B. Moreno, Fritz Bryn Anthony M. delos Santos, and J. Ermin Ernest Louie R. Miguel directed Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla to carry out the order and to inform the court in writing, within five days, of action taken.

“Accused Maglanque is ordered to cease and desist from further performing and/or exercising the functions, duties, and privileges of his positions upon the implementation of this Order of Preventive Suspension. His suspension shall be automatically lifted upon the expiration of the 90-day period from the implementation of this resolution,” the court said.

A total of 194 criminal charges were filed against Maglanque — then a private individual — by the Office of the Ombudsman on December 1, 2017, for his alleged involvement in the P900-million Malampaya fund scam.

He was named co-accused in 97 counts of violation of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices and 97 counts of malversation of public funds.

His co-accused are the late Department of Budget and Management secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., former DBM undersecretary Mario Relampagos, former Department Agrarian Reform secretary Nasser Pangandaman, Undersecretary Narciso Nieto, DAR Finance and Management Service director Teresita Panlilio, former chief accountant Angelita Cacananta, and chief administrative officer Ronald Venancio.

The private defendants are businesswoman Janet Napoles and children Jo Christine and James Christopher; and her employees Reynald Lim, Evelyn de Leon, Ronald Francisco Lim, Ronald John Bernardo Lim, John Raymund de Asis, Rodrigo Galay, Alejandro Garro, Paquito Dinso Jr., Gerald Apuang, Napoleon Sibayan, and Winnie Villanueva.

Maglanque and a majority of his co-defendants obtained temporary freedom on reduced bail and avoided detention. Maglanque was also not barred from running for election as he was not convicted.

On October 3, 2025, the prosecution informed the Sandiganbayan that Maglanque won the Candaba mayoral race in the May elections, and on the same day, the court directed him to “show cause why he should not be preventively suspended from office as the alleged incumbent Municipal Mayor of Candaba, Pampanga.”

The case

On October 13, 2009, then-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued Executive Order 848 authorizing the DBM to release Malampaya funds to the DAR as implementing agency for “relief operations, rehabilitation, and reconstruction” of areas affected by Tropical Storm Ondoy (Ketsana) and Typhoon Pepeng (Parma).

Heeing EO 848, the DBM released P900 million to DAR based on 97 purported letter-requests of mayors. Instead of being spent on their constituents, state auditors found that the money went to Napoles-controlled nongovernmental organizations.

Arroyo was originally named a co-respondent in the complaints but was later dropped in the indictments. – Rappler.com