Sandiganbayan quashes P9.7-M PDAF charges against NGO executives over forged documents

While Flerida Alberto was acquitted of the £9.7 million charges, the court had previously found her guilty of six charges of corruption and misuse of public funds.

MANILA, Philippines – Sandiganbayan, Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation, Inc. (KKAMFI) The president of Kabuhayan and Virac nullified the P9.7 million fraud charge against Flerida Alberto, former mayor of Caanduanes (one of the non-governmental organizations allegedly involved in this incident). Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

In its decision dated October 31, 2024, the anti-corruption court noted that the prosecution failed to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt and questioned the authenticity of the documents presented.

“The conspiracy must be proven as convincingly as the criminal act itself,” the court said in its 102-page decision. “Conspiracy, like any element of the crime charged, must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”

KKAMFI was one of the top NGOs that received funds from the pork barrel scam led by him. Janet Lim-Napoles.

Alberto was accused of working with National Agricultural Corporation (Nabcor) officials on a P9.7 million ghost project using funds from former San Jose del Monte City Rep. Eduardo Roquero’s PDAF.

Former Nabcor chairman Alan Javellana; Marilou Antonio, KKAMFI project coordinator and Alberto’s sister; and Carmelita Barredo, owner of CC Barredo Publishing House, the purported supplier of the livelihood kits, were named as co-defendants in the lawsuit.

Roquero died 13 years before the lawsuit was filed.

The project was never implemented and it was revealed that KKAMFI had provided fake addresses; His Pasig address was a family home and his Quezon City apartment was unavailable – there was not enough evidence to link Alberto to this transaction.

The court noted that the only evidence against Alberto was the purchase order issued to CC Barredo on March 21, 2007 for 4,850 sets of livelihood technology kits.

Alberto refused to participate in the transaction, claiming that the purchase order bearing his signature might have been counterfeit. There was no handwriting expert present during the hearing.

However, the Sandiganbayan checked the PDAF documents submitted for the case against Alberto’s signatures on other documents, such as his child’s birth certificate and bank checks from 2008.

“After meticulously examining the signature samples in question, the Court concluded that the same signatures were not written by the same person,” the Sandiganbayan said. “Even to the untrained eye, the differences between the signatures are obvious.”

The court added that the prosecution did not present “any credible evidence showing how the defendant Alberto acted cooperatively to achieve a common evil goal.”

Even her relationship with KCAMFI project coordinator Antonio (her sister) was rejected by the court.

“As the Supreme Court has consistently held, conspiracy goes beyond friendship. The court stated that a logical relationship must be established to prove a clear and closer connection between the commission of the crime and the alleged conspirators.

Javellana, Antonio and Barredo remain at large. Cases against the three were archived and pseudonymous search warrants were issued against them.

When the original arrest warrant is not served, an alias warrant is usually issued because the suspect cannot be located. It allows authorities to renew their efforts to capture the person.

While Flerida Alberto was acquitted of the 9.7 million Pounds fraud charge, the court had previously filed a criminal complaint. found him guilty of six counts of corruption and misuse of public funds. – Rappler.com