Manila: The Sandiganbayan has convicted former Misamis Occidental 2nd District Representative Loreto Leo Ocampos alongside two others for graft, malversation of public funds, and falsification of documents related to a fraudulent livelihood project in 2013, which involved PHP2.1 million from the former lawmaker's priority development assistance fund (PDAF).

According to Philippines News Agency, the anti-graft court's 2nd Division delivered a 31-page decision dated June 10, sentencing Ocampos and private individuals Josefina Candole and Jaime Ann Perez Linsangan. The latter two were officers of the Rich Islas de Filipinas Foundation, Inc. (RIDFFI), the organization selected as the 'project partner' for the alleged distribution of 350 business starter kits for a Basilan Native Chicken livelihood initiative.

For the charge of graft, the court imposed a sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment with a perpetual disqualification from holding public office. Additionally, the convicted individuals were ordered to return the PHP2.1 million that was unlawfully disbursed to the national treasury.

Regarding the charge of malversation, the court sentenced them to a similar jail term of up to 10 years and imposed a fine of PHP2.1 million.

For the falsification of documents, the court sentenced them to a prison term of up to eight years and one day, along with a fine of PHP5,000.

The court noted, "(T)he collective actions of the three accused manifest a deliberate intent to siphon off accused Ocampos' PDAF through a deceptive scheme of implementing a fake project. Accused Ocampos, Candole, and Linsangan played an active role in allowing RIDFFI to unlawfully misappropriate the public funds derived from the PDAF for their own illicit benefit."

Despite the livelihood development project being entirely fictitious, the Sandiganbayan highlighted that the accused "accomplished liquidation documents. all tending to show that the same had been actually and properly undertaken, and that it was eventually completed."