Ex-BFP officials get up to 90 years in jail for ghost repairs

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Ex-BFP officials get up to 90 years in jail for ghost repairs
Two former officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection forced subordinates to sign documents that made it appear as if vehicles were repaired

MANILA, Philippines – Two former officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) were sentenced 60 to 90 years in jail after they were convicted of graft and estafa through falsification of public documents.

The Sandiganbayan 3rd Division issued the ruling against former BFP chief Francisco Senot and former BFP finance head Florante Cruz on June 29.

Senot and Cruz approved payments for 5 separate repair transactions for a Kia Besta van and an Isuzu Elf truck back in 2001.

It turned out, however, that fake supporting documents were used for these transactions.

For instance, disbursement papers showed that the van supposedly underwent two engine overhauls in June 2001 and August 2001.

But Renato Molina, chief of the BFP Supply Accountable Office, testified that the Besta van was not repaired.

Molina also told the anti-graft court that Senot pressured him to sign the documents by threatening to dismiss him from service.

Still during the trial, driver Danilo Dizon said the truck was not repaired from February 2001 to December 2001.

According to Dizon, Cruz warned he would be transferred to Mindanao if he did not sign certificates for emergency repair as well as wear and tear.

In all, the ghost repairs amounted to P192,023.73.

“The evidence proves that accused Senot and Cruz caused the falsification of the Certificate of Emergency Repair, Certifications of Wear and Tear, Canvass Proposals, Reports of Waste Material, Requisition and Issue Voucher, and Certificate of Acceptance to make it appear that repairs were made…when none were in fact performed,” the Sandiganbayan 3rd Division said.

The court rejected Senot and Cruz’s argument that they approved the transactions in good faith and only relied on documents submitted to them.

The two former officials were also ordered to pay fines of P25,000 each, aside from jointly returning the P192,023.73. – Rappler.com

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