FRANKIE Locsin, the former mayor of Janiuay town in Iloilo province. (Facebook)
ILOILO CITY — Police Regional Office (PRO-6) has confirmed that former mayor Frankie Locsin of Janiuay town, Iloilo province has started his 10-year prison term after he was convicted of graft.
PRO-6 Spokesperson Lt. Col. Joem Malong said Tuesday that Locsin was transferred to Bilibid, the national penitentiary in Metro Manila.
Malong said that Locsin was taken into custody from a hospital in Iloilo City, where he has been under hospital arrest since June 2019.
To recall, the Western Visayas regional office of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested Locsin in June 2019. This was a month after winning the May 2019 mayoralty race of Janiuay town.
Locsin’s June 2019 warrant was issued following the Supreme Court ruling, which upholds the Sandiganbayan’s February 2015 conviction. Locsin and five others were found guilty of violating Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The graft conviction stemmed from a P15-million purchase of medicines by the Janiuay local government unit (LGU) in 2001 when Locsin was town mayor.
The Commission on Audit (CoA) found that the Janiuay LGU purchased the medicines from a supplier that no longer had an accreditation from the Department of Health (DoH).
The Sandiganbyan also meted Locsin with perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
