The Sandiganbayan has convicted three former officials of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in its Tarlac City Field Office and a private individual of two counts of graft in the irregular processing, approval and release of P293 million housing loans in 2001. Former division chief III Celestino Tugawin Cabalitasan, property appraiser III Ma. Victoria Magat Leonardo, senior general insurance specialist Jerry Manansala Balagtas, and private individual Jose Quiambao De Guzman were found guilty of violations of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. They were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from six to 10 years for each count with perpetual disqualification from holding public office. The case against their co-accused, former branch manager Amando A. Inocentes, had already been dismissed by the Supreme Court in a resolution dated July 7, 2016. The first graft charge arose from the approval of the housing loans of 491 borrowers of De Guzman's housing project under the GSIS’ “Bahay Ko Program” with total loans of P241,053,600. However, the prosecution presented evidence that the borrowers or grantees were not qualified and were not under the territorial jurisdiction of the Tarlac City Field Office. The second graft charge involved 53 borrowers of De Guzman’s land development program involving P52,107,000. The prosecution said the lots covered by the loans were intended for commercial purposes and thus, there was an over-appraisal of P33,242,848.36 for the land and buildings offered as collaterals. The Sandiganbayan said the signatures of the accused were crucial in the processing of the loan applications. Despite the irregularities in the documents submitted to them, they still processed the loan applications, it said. "Without these concerted actions by all accused, the GSIS would not have parted with a huge amount of money which it holds in trust for all its members who contributed their hard-earned money only to be paid to JQG Homes Development, Inc. owned and headed by accused De Guzman which undeniably benefited from the whole scheme perpetrated by no less than by all of the accused," the anti-graft court said. "Verily, the acts of the accused of processing and approving the loan applications despite the irregularities earlier mentioned, among others, when taken together, caused damage to the government," it ruled. Associate Justice Georgina D. Hidalgo wrote the 54-page decision with the concurrence of Seventh Division Chairperson Maria Theresa Dolores C. Gomez-Estoesta and Associate Justice Zaldy V. Trespeses.