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Sandiganbayan convicts former Tarlac mayor for unliquidated cash advances of P8.15 million
BY GEORGE TRILLO

RAMOS, Tarlac -- The Sandiganbayan has convicted a former municipal mayor of this town for his failure to account P8.15 million in cash advances drawn by him from 2001 to 2004.

In a 29-page decision, the court sentenced former Mayor Gil V. Beltran to a jail term of one year and eight months and ordered him to pay a fine of P6,000.

The decision was penned by Associate Justice Godfredo Legaspi and concurred in by associate justice Efren dela Cruz and Norberto Geraldez of the anti-graft court’s third division.

The case stemmed from an audit investigation conducted by the Commission on Audit. According to the COA, the accused failed to explain the shortage and produce the funds in his custody despite notice from government auditors for him to do so through a demand letter dated Feb. 24, 2004.

In his defense, Beltran tried to pass on the blame to then municipal treasurer Editha Corpuz, saying the latter was the one who disbursed the funds to pay the salaries of the municipal government personnel and obligations to suppliers.

The former town chief claimed he drew the cash advance to safeguard the welfare of the employees after hearing rumors that Corpuz mishandled funds in the past.

The court threw out the arguments of Beltran, noting that all documents submitted to the court showed that it was him who signed the cash advances.