Former Pagcor chairman Efraim Genuino has posted bail at Php1.77 million at the Sandiganbayan in connection with graft and malversation charges filed against him and six former Pagcor officials earlier this week.
All in all, Genuino posted bail on 39 charges, including 19 counts of graft and 20 counts of malversation, pre-empting the issuance of warrants for his arrest had he not done so in time. Talking to GMA News, Genuino’s lead counsel, Benjamin Santos, explained the decision to posting bail, saying it was done for Genuino’s “peace of mind” not as an admission of any wrongdoing.
“Posting bail is not a bar to challenging the indictment. We still intend to challenge it later,” Santos said.
In addition to Genuino, three of the co-accused former officials also posted bail, including former Pagcor president and COO Rafael Francisco (Php1.71 million), assistant vice president for internal audit Valente Custodio (Php1.71 million), and former chief of staff to the chairman’s office Jose Benedicto (Php90,000).
The other individuals indicted together with Genuino, including former Pagcor senior vice presidents Rene C. Figueroa, Edward F. King and vice president for accounting Ester P. Hernandez, have not yet posted bail.
Each count of graft comes with a Php30,000 bail with one count of malversation tacked at Php60,000.
The charges hammered down on Genuino and the six former Pagcor officials came after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales signed a 43-page resolution last February 25 wherein she found “probable cause” to indict them with 19 counts of violation of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and 20 counts of malversation.
The filing of the charges were done in the Philippines’ Sandiganbayan with the cases set to be raffled off to determine which division will be in charge of tackling them.
