The Sandiganbayan’s First Division found former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Chairman Camilo Sabio guilty in two graft complaints filed against him and several others in connection with two deals for the lease of service vehicles.

In a 20-page decision promulgated on Thursday, the court sentenced Sabio to six up to 10 years imprisonment with perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

He was allowed to post a cash bond for his provisional liberty within five days.

"In the instant case, two points prove the fact that there was bad faith on the part of Sabio in entering into the subject contracts: (1) not undertaking the required procurement process; and (2), subjecting government funds to unnecessary expenditure without the pre-allocation and the necessity for the same,” the court said.

It also said that "[t]he prosecution was able to prove undue injury to the Government, to the tune of P5,393,000.00 and P6,734,610.00 for the April 18, 2007 and the undated lease agreement, respectively.”

The cases stemmed from two lease deals allegedly entered into with the UCPB Leasing and Finance Corporation (ULFC) through negotiated procurement without public bidding.

According to the court’s ruling, ULFC leased out four vehicles to the PCGG through the April 18, 2007 contract while the undated contract leased out five vehicles.

Sabio was charged along with former PCGG Commissioners Tereso Javier, Narciso Nario, and Nicasio Conti in 2012. Another person who was charged along with them passed away during the case’s pendency.

In 2014, the court granted the motion to dismiss filed by Conti, Nario and Javier. The court threw out the cases against them for violation of their right to speedy disposition of cases.

Sabio’s wife Marlene, who accompanied him during the promulgation of the decision yesterday, said that her husband will appeal the ruling.