The Sandiganbayan upheld former Maguindanao governor Sajid Ampatuan's sentence in connection with an allegedly fake procurement of food supplies worth P16.3 million in 2009.
Ampatuan's plea to appeal an earlier verdict finding him guilty of graft and misappropriation of public funds was denied by the anti-graft court's Fifth Division in a resolution issued on July 19.
According to the court, Ampatuan forfeited his right to appeal his conviction since he failed to submit to authorities within 15 days of the judgment's proclamation on May 5.
Ampatuan and his counsel were not present during the announcement of the verdict. The anti-graft court had already issued an arrest order for Ampatuan after he failed to appear in court despite being told of his conviction.
Based on the legislation, an accused who fails to appear at the case's adjudication may reclaim his good standing in court if he surrenders within 15 days after the date of adjudication and files an application for leave to avail himself of the legal remedies.
The Fifth Division said that Ampatuan lost his standing in court and failed to reclaim it prior to filing the request.
Ampatuan, along with a former provincial budget officer and bids and awards committee member Datu Ali Abpi, was sentenced to six to ten years in prison for violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The defendants were barred from running for public office.
They were also sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 to 18 years under the Revised Penal Code for misappropriation of public funds.
Ampatuan and Abpi were each ordered to reimburse the government P16.33 million, the amount of public money they allegedly misappropriated.
The Office of the Ombudsman initiated the lawsuit in 2017, claiming that the food transactions did not take place because the supplier was fraudulent or nonexistent.
The responders reportedly misused money "for themselves," according to the ombudsman. During the general elections in May 2022, Ampatuan was elected deputy mayor of Shariff Saydona.
