The sandiganbayan: The Sandiganbayan has scheduled the arraignment of former Surigao del Norte Governor Francisco Matugas on March 27 concerning a technical malversation case tied to the alleged misallocation of PHP60 million in disaster funds.

According to Philippines News Agency, the anti-graft court issued a resolution on March 5, permitting the prosecution to amend the charges against Matugas. The former governor, along with former provincial budget officer Marla Padayhag, faces accusations of technical malversation. They are alleged to have repurposed the PHP60 million, initially designated for a disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation initiative. The funds were redirected to procure supplementary reading materials for the Department of Education-Surigao del Norte division in 2022.

Initially, Matugas and Padayhag were set for arraignment on November 7, 2025, but this was rescheduled to January of the current year. The court emphasized that no substantive rights of the accused had been breached prior to arraignment, as the accused had not yet been informed of the charges against them. The court clarified that substantial amendments to the complaint or information are only restricted after the accused have been formally informed of the charges during arraignment.