The former Chairman of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and four other top officials have been sentenced to over 100 years in prison over graft and alleged misuse of agency funds.
According to reports, former PAGCOR president Efraim Genuino was charged alongside former COO Rafael Franciso, former SVP for administration Rene Figueroa, former SVP for corporate communications services Edward King and former assistance VP for internal audit Valente Custodio.
Each was found guilty of five counts of violating the anti-graft and corrupt practices act.
They were also sentenced to five counts of malversation of public funds.
The court also temporarily archived cases against former PAGCOR Vice President for accounting Ester Hernandez, who authorities indicate remain at large, with possibility of revival upon arrest or surrender.
The case relates to some PHP50.5 million ($912,000) in PAGCOR funds disbursed between 2005 and 2008, allegedly used to fund promotional items for an organization founded by Genuino in 2003 – the BIDA Foundation.
The court ruled that the purchases did not go through a public bidding process, with amounts exceeding threshold targets for procurement.
Despite the charges, the five were acquitted of 14 other counts of graft and 15 counts of malversation linked to other transactions – including donations to the BIDA Foundation, and purchase of tickets for a film and advertisements amounting to over PHP100 million ($1.8 million) in 2008 and 2009.
Genuino was alleged to have diverted the PAGCOR funds to the BIDA Foundation in order to support his run for a seat in the House of Representatives in the 2010 elections, a bid that eventually failed.
The rulings stem from corruption allegations filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2011.
