The Sandiganbayan has found businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles guilty of 10 counts each of graft and malversation involving the misdirection of ₱50 million in agricultural assistance funds, while former Agrarian Reform Undersecretary Jerry Pacturan was cleared of graft but convicted on 10 malversation counts.
In a 237-page decision issued on Friday, July 24, the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division also sentenced co-accused Evelyn De Leon, who headed multiple non-governmental organizations (NGOs), on three counts each of graft and malversation.
For the 10 graft charges, the court sentenced Napoles “to suffer the indeterminate penalty of imprisonment of 12 years, as minimum, to fifteen years, as maximum, for each of the 10 counts, and shall further suffer perpetual disqualification from public office.”
Regarding the 10 malversation counts through falsification of public documents, Napoles was ordered to “suffer the indeterminate penalty of 17 years and four months of reclusion temporal, as minimum, to 20 years of reclusion temporal, as maximum, for each of the 10 counts.”
“She shall likewise suffer the penalty of perpetual special disqualification and fines in the amount of the funds malversed, or the amount of PHP 5 million, in each of the 10 counts,” it added.
While the court acquitted Pacturan of graft due to reasonable doubt, it sentenced him for 10 counts of malversation to “suffer the indeterminate penalty of 14 years, eight months, and one day of reclusion temporal, as minimum, to 19 years, one month, and 11 days of reclusion temporal, as maximum, for each of the 10 counts in these cases.”
“He shall likewise suffer the penalty of perpetual special disqualification and fines in the amount of the funds malversed, or the amount of PHP 5 million, in each of the 10 counts,” it added.
Meanwhile, De Leon received a 10-to-12-year prison sentence for each of her three graft convictions, alongside perpetual disqualification from public office.
For three counts of malversation through document falsification, she was sentenced to serve between 14 years, eight months, and one day to 19 years, one month, and 11 days per count, along with a ₱5 million fine per count.
The tribunal also ordered the trio to jointly return the siphoned money to the national government.
“Accused Pacturan, Napoles, and De Leon are held solidarily liable to reimburse to the Bureau of the Treasury the total amount malversed plus interest of six percent per annum, to be reckoned from the date of the finality of this Judgment until full payment, by way of their civil liability, unless they can present proof that such amount had already been reimbursed. Accused Pacturan and Napoles shall be liable up to the amount of PHP 50 million, and accused De Leon shall be liable up to the amount of PHP 15 million,” it stated.
Additionally, alias arrest warrants were issued against at-large co-accused Rowena Agbayani, Ronald John Lim Jr., and John Raymund De Asis, whose cases have been archived pending their arrest.
Prosecution evidence showed that 10 Luzon local government units were falsely listed as beneficiaries for a ₱50 million Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) project funneled through Napoles-linked NGOs.
Eight town mayors testified that signatures on the project documents were forged, while Pacturan signed the underlying agreements on DAR’s behalf to authorize the fund release.