MANILA — The former president of the defunct National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR) is now facing graft charges before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly paying PHP4.8 million to a contractual staff member in 2012.
The Office of the Ombudsman filed a count of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, or the “Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act” against former NABCOR president Honesto Baniqued.
In its complaint, the Ombudsman claimed that from April to July 2012, Baniqued allegedly granted PHP4.8 million in unwarranted benefits in favor of a certain Rodolfo Romero.
The prosecution said “Baniqued approved the payment of PHP4.8 million in favor of Romero. This amount represents half of the stipulated salary under Romero’s contract.”
However, the prosecution said Romero was not supposed to receive the funds given the lack of documentary evidence to support his claim of payment, “thereby causing undue injury to the government.”
The Ombudsman recommended a PHP30,000 total bail bond in the graft case.
The graft case was raffled off to the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Thursday.
The NABCOR, the former corporate arm of the Department of Agriculture, was closed down in 2014 after being dragged in the multi-billion-peso pork barrel fund scam. (Perfecto Raymundo, Jr./PNA)
