GUILTY. The Sandiganbayan rejects the motion for reconsideration of retired army general Jose Ramiscal Jr. File photo by Darren Langit/Rappler
The Sandiganbayan affirmed the guilty verdict given to retired army general Jose Ramiscal Jr in relation to corruption.
The anti-graft court's 7th Division junked Ramiscal's motion for reconsideration which sought to reverse the April 2018 decision which sentenced him to a total of 123 years in jail for 12 counts of graft and falsification of documents.
Ramiscal, the former president of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Retirement and Separation Benefits System (AFP-RSBS), was found guilty of defrauding the government of P3,506,490 in taxes due.
The charges state that Ramiscal and his lawyer Nilo Flaviano falsified a deed of sale showing a lower amount in order to pay lower capital gains tax and documentary stamp tax.
The case stemmed from a December 1997 complaint filed by former South Cotabato representative Luwalhati Antonino before the Office of the Ombudsman in Mindanao.
Several reports were submitted to her office detailing the anomalous real estate transactions in her district.
Ramiscal, in his appeal, said the prosecution did not submit enough evidence against him, adding that he did not sign the questioned deeds of sale.
But the Sandiganbayan dismissed Ramiscal's arguments, saying that the absence of his signature does not prove his non-involvement.
"Evidence of his participation is not limited to his signature on the subject Unilateral Deeds of Sale. If such were the case, indispensable participants in a criminal scheme need only refrain from signing documents to evade prosecution," the anti-graft court said.
This is not the first conviction against Ramiscal. He was previously convicted of misuse of retirement funds, also in relation to his work at the AFP-RSBS.
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