BAGUIO CITY – At least six former barangay officials of Lower General Luna were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt for two counts of falsification of public documents and were sentenced in each case to suffer the indeterminate penalty of imprisonment for six years of prision correctional as minimum to eight years and one day of prision mayor as maximum and to pay the fine of PhP5,000.
Three of the accused namely, former barangay secretary Fides Corazon J. Cura, former barangay kagawads Johnny L. Jose and Remedios A. Golidan who were present in court on June 7, 2024 when the Order for Execution of Judgment was set were immediately ordered committed to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
As for Virgilio P. Manzo, the former Punong Barangay of Lower General Luna who remained at large and did not appear in court during the issuance of the Order for Execution of Judgment, a Warrant of Arrest was immediately issued against him by Judge Maria Ligaya V. Itliong-Rivera of RTC Branch 5, Baguio City.
As for the two other accused, their names were cautiously undisclosed by this writer considering that the court said it received information that they passed on even while the Order for Execution was issued.
All of the accused who were earlier found guilty of Falsification of Public Documents on August 28, 2019 were former barangay officials of Lower General Luna who were charged for the said cases upon the complaints filed by Joanna Dacaimat, Iluminada Tongfoyen and Mario Barcena who were also officials of the same barangay.
In the information filed under Criminal Case No. 36380-R, it said that the accused “took advantage of their public official positions, conspired and mutually helped each other willfully, unlawfully and feloniously falsify a document denominated as Barangay Resolution 010, Series of 2014”.
In doing so, the accused barangay officials made it appear that barangay kagawads Santos and Dacaimat were present during the barangay council meeting on February 01, 2014 thus constituting a quorum, and thereafter passed the said barangay resolution “when in truth and in fact all the accused knew that Santos and Dacaimat were absent” on the said date.
In the other Criminal Case No. 36381-R, the court said that on January 18, 2014; the accused barangay officials falsified a document denominated as Barangay Resolution 001-14, Series of 2014 by making untruthful statements in the narration of facts, by making it appear that the Internal House Rules of Procedure for the Sanggunian Barangay was approved and passed on the said date.
This was certified by then PB Manzo “when in truth and in fact, all the accused knew that no Internal House Rules of Procedure for the Sanggunian Barangay of Lower General Luna was approved and passed on the said date, as it was still the subject of deliberation by the barangay council on February 15, 2014.
Complainants noticed that in the attendance sheet of the Fifth Regular Meeting on February 01, 2014; Kagawads Santos, Dacaimat, Tongfoyen and Barcena were absent. In that meeting, Resolution 010, Series of 2014 was passed and certified by PB Manzo as attested by Barangay Secretary Cura.
It also appeared that the barangay resolution was signed by Santos even if he was absent. It was also made to appear in the barangay resolution that Dacaimat was present. Complainants contend that Santos and Dacaimat could not have participated in the deliberation and passing of the resolution since the attendance sheet showed that they were absent.
There was likewise “no quorum” in the meeting on that day because only three kagawads and the barangay chairman were present. By David March