The Sandiganbayan convicted businesswoman Janet L. Napoles and former Department of Agrarian Reform undersecretary Jerry E. Pacturan for diverting ₱50 million in government funds earmarked for farm‑input assistance. The verdict concluded a high‑profile graft case involving multiple public and private actors.
The 237‑page decision, authored by Sixth Division Chairperson Associate Justice Sarah Jane T. Fernandez, found both defendants guilty on ten counts of malversation through falsification of public documents. The court determined that the funds were released to ten non‑government organizations under Napoles’s control.
Napoles also faced ten counts of violating the Anti‑Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, while Pacturan was acquitted of graft charges after the prosecution failed to meet the burden of proof. The divergent outcomes underscore the court’s assessment of each defendant’s level of involvement.
The court ordered Napoles and Pacturan to reimburse the full ₱50 million to the National Treasury. The repayment order reflects the court’s effort to recover misused public funds.
Former staff member Evelyn D. de Leon, who also led the Philippine Social Development Foundation, Inc., was convicted on three counts each of malversation and graft and ordered to repay ₱15 million. She was acquitted on the remaining seven counts due to insufficient evidence.
The judgment identified a conspiracy involving Pacturan, former DAR Finance and Management Service Director Teresita M. Panlilio, former Chief Accountant Rowena B. Agbayani, and several private individuals, including Napoles and de Leon. Together they facilitated the release of government money to the ten NGOs purportedly for farm‑input projects.
Pacturan executed memoranda of agreement with the concerned local government units and NGOs without proper authority, despite clear irregularities in the documents. His actions enabled the unauthorized transfer of funds.
Napoles directed the preparation of fabricated request letters and falsified the signatures of municipal mayors and notaries public on the agreements. These forged documents were used to legitimize the disbursement of the ₱50 million.
The case originated from the alleged diversion of regular DAR funds intended for farm‑input assistance in ten Luzon local government units. The court’s findings highlight systemic weaknesses in the allocation of agricultural aid.
Charges against Simplicio M. Gumafelix and Eulogio B. Rodriguez were dismissed following their deaths, while Agbayani, Ronald John Lim Jr., and John Raymund de Asis remain at large. Ongoing efforts aim to locate the fugitives and ensure full accountability.
