Ex-PNP officials get 8 years for helicopter deal

The Sandiganbayan has sentenced four former officials of the Philippine National Police to up to eight years in prison for graft in connection with an allegedly anomalous PNP helicopter procurement in 2009.

- ELIZABETH MARCELO

In a 346-page decision promulgated yesterday, the court's Seventh Division found former PNP bids and awards committee vice chairman Director Luizo Ticman and BAC members Directors Ronald Roderos, Romeo Hilomen and Leocadio Santiago Jr. as well as private defendant Hilario de Vera guilty of violating Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

They were sentenced to a minimum of six years and one month to a maximum of eight years of imprisonment with the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

They were also ordered to jointly or individually pay the government P11.377 million for each of the two secondhand helicopters found to have been illegally procured, or a total of P22.754 million for the two units.