(Eagle News)– The Sandiganbayan has found former Laguna Governor ER Ejercito guilty of graft for approving an insurance deal without public bidding when he was mayor of Pagsanjan.
Apart from convicting him for one count of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Sandiganbayan’s fourth division sentenced Ejercito to six to eight years in prison, and sanctioned him with perpetual disqualification from public office.
Several councilors at that time also face the same sentence, while then-Vice Mayor Crisostomo Villa was cleared.
The anti-graft court allowed those convicted to post bail as they avail of other legal remedies.
The prosecution had accused the then-local government of Pagsanjan of entering into an anomalous deal with First Rapids Care Ventures for the coverage of boatmen in the municipality tourist zone.