MANILA, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan has convicted a public prosecutor in Dagupan City for extorting P20,000 from a man with criminal cases before his office, the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) announced Thursday.

In a 30-page decision, Associate Justice Maria Cristina Cornejo of the anti-graft court’s Fourth Division sentenced Assistant Prosecutor Joselito Barrozo from four to nine years imprisonment after he was found guilty of direct bribery.

Barrozo was also fined P60, 000.

Associate Justices Gregory Ong and Jose Hernandez concurred with the decision.

Barrozo was arrested in 2005 in an entrapment set by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) based on the complaint of one Jennie Valeriano.

The Sandiganbayan gave weight to the testimony of NBI agents that Barrozo was caught red-handed in the entrapment.

The pay-off took place in the parking lot of the Dagupan City Justice Hall.

Valeriano then gave the pre-arranged signal and the NBI agents moved in. They found the marked money inside the prosecutor’ car.

Records showed that Valeriano was the respondent in several estafa cases which were later dismissed by Barrozo on condition that the respondent gave him the amount.

The court upheld the credibility of the version of the prosecution led by Assistant Special Prosecutor III James Abugan that established the elements of the crime of direct bribery.

“Accused Barrozo accepted the money given to him by Valeriano under obviously suspicious circumstances. The money, as categorically stated by the giver was given to and received by Barrozo in consideration of the dismissal of the cases which were the subject of preliminary investigation conducted by Barrozo," the decision stated. (Jun Ramirez)