The Sandiganbayan found two current and two retired officials of Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, guilty of “frauds against the public treasury” in connection with a heavy equipment lease contract with a private firm in 2008.
The Sandiganbayan, in a decision promulgated July 15, fined Sipalay City treasurer Renato Manilla and engineer Porferio Calderon Jr., and retired budget officer Fernando Balbin and general services officer Elizer Balbin P40,000 each.
On July 20, 2021, accused Manilla, Balbin, Calderon, and Balbin filed a “Motion for Leave to Plead Guilty to Lesser 0ffense” of frauds against the public treasury and similar offenses as defined under paragraph 1, Article 213 of the Revised Penal Code.
In its comment dated July 21, 2021, the prosecution manifested its agreement to the offer of the accused to plea bargain.*