Maslog gets 10 years for textbook scam

Businesswoman Mary Ann Tupa Maslog, who previously faked her death to avoid conviction, was sentenced by the Sandiganbayan to up to 10 years in prison for graft in connection with the P24-million textbook scam in 1998.

- By ELIZABETH MARCELO

In a decision promulgated yesterday, the court's Second Division has found Maslog, who also goes by the name Dra. Jesica Sese Francisco, guilty of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

She was sentenced to six to 10 years of imprisonment and was also ordered perpetually disqualified from holding public office.

The copy of the decision has yet to be released to members of the media as of yesterday afternoon.

Maslog's lawyer, Nicole Jamilla, however, said her client would file a motion for reconsideration.

Apart from her conviction, Maslog was also reprimanded by the Second Division "for undermining the court's authority."

This was after she admitted, upon the questioning of Second Division chairperson and Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Geraldine Faith Econg, that she was released from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) detention facility in Muntinlupa City for about two hours sometime this month after she presented a release order from the court.

Econg said the release order was obviously fake as the Second Division had earlier denied Maslog's petition to post bail.