FORMER Panglao Mayor and now municipal councilor Leonila P. Montero is said to elevate her case to a higher court after her conviction for graft promulgated by the Sandiganbayan last week, report said.
Montero is meted with four counts of graft for 24 years in prison by the Sandiganbayan for hiring her four personnel who were defeated in an election, apparently defying the one-year ban of hiring losing candidates. She is also perpetually banned from holding public office.
The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division found Montero violated Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
“Without a doubt, her act of resorting to hiring the four losing candidates on a job order basis to circumvent the prohibition under the Constitution and RA 7160 has caused undue injury to the Municipality of Panglao in the form of unwarranted benefits, advantage, and preference given to disqualified persons,” the court said.
The losing candidates who were hired by Montero were Danny Reyes as information officer; Fernando Penales, consultant of infra projects; Fudalan, as coordinator of Public Employment service office and Noel Hormachuelos, as municipal administrator. Hormachuelos is now the incumbent vice-mayor after his election in May 2022.
But Montero is acquitted of charges against her for violating Article 244 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), which defines and penalizes unlawful appointments, for lack of one of the four requisite elements of the felony.
The former mayor defended her action in hiring Reyes, Penales, Fudalan and Hormachuelos on a job-order status, based on the DILG opinion that employing personnel who lost in the immediate elections is okay, the report said.
As of this writing, Montero did not reply for a request for her to comment on the report that she’s elevating her conviction to a higher court. (rvo)
