Ex-Bohol Mayor Found Guilty of Using Public Funds for Personal Travels
Ex-Bohol Mayor was jailed after she was found guilty of using public funds for personal expenses and travels during her term.
Apolinaria Balistoy, the former mayor of Cortes, Bohol, was convicted guilty of corruption allegations. According to the report, this comes after using financial advances to pay for personal travel expenses of more than 20,000 in 2010.
Balistoy was convicted of graft and fabrication of public documents by the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on January 20. She was condemned to a minimum of 22 years in prison and a maximum of 48 years, and she is still barred from holding public office.
“Mayor Balistoy utilized the funds of the municipality for her personal travels,” according to the Sandiganbayan. “Public funds were released in her favor through the cash advances obtained.”
The report added that in 2016, Balistoy was charged with misusing municipal funds for seven personal excursions to Cebu City disguised as official travels. The court, however, established that they had not been authorized by the provincial governor.
When he liquidated his monetary advances, Balistoy allegedly faked the signature of a certifying officer from the Civil Service Commission, according to state prosecutors. Aside from the prison sentence, the court also ordered Balistoy to repay the local government $20,779.50, or the total sum of his unlawful financial advances.
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