Sandiganbayan鈥揑NQUIRER file photo
The Sandiganbayan has rejected the appeal made by a former staff of the late Negros Oriental Rep. Herminio Teves to overturn her conviction over the irregular transfer of P10 million from the lawmaker鈥檚 pork barrel funds to a nongovernmental organization for agricultural projects.
In a resolution on Feb. 11, the antigraft court鈥檚 Third Division denied for 鈥渓ack of merit鈥� the motion for reconsideration filed by Hiram Pulido, a former chief of staff of Teves, who was convicted of graft and malversation in 2023.
Pulido was found guilty of conspiring and allowing Teves鈥� Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in 2007 to be misappropriated by Molugan Foundation Inc. (MFI), which was identified as the project partner of what turned out to be a ghost project.
In her pleading filed in October last year, Pulido asserted that she 鈥渉as no knowledge of or dealings with [MFI] or any person connected therewith and is unfamiliar with her co-accused.鈥�
She also denied having seen the project proposal and stressed that her signatures above the name of Teves in documents were 鈥渇ake and forged鈥� as she was no longer working for the lawmaker at the time.
Regarding her late filing of her motion, Pulido blamed her previous lawyer who she said became 鈥渘egligent鈥� on her case and eventually 鈥渁bandoned鈥� her.
But the antigraft court ruled that Pulido was 鈥渂ound by the failure of [her lawyer] to timely file the necessary pleading.鈥�
It added, 鈥淭his court finds that Pulido is also guilty of contributory negligence for losing her right to appeal. She did not exercise due diligence in monitoring the status of her cases.鈥�
The court said it was also 鈥渘ot persuaded鈥� by the former chief of staff鈥檚 argument that she was unable to personally follow up her cases at the Sandiganbayan because 鈥渟he could have simply resorted to other means of communication.鈥�
Pulido, along with Belina Concepcion, Dennis Cunanan and Marivic Jover of defunct Technology Resource Center; and Samuel Bombeo of MFI, were found liable for violating Sec. 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, as well as malversation under the Revised Penal Code.