Former Panglao mayor Leonila Montero denied that the Supreme Court (SC) alrrady made a decision on her case.
This comes as BusinessWorld newspaper back on Oct. 27, 2022 released a report saying the high court “upheld” the Ombudsman guilty verdict on her case for “grave misconduct and negligence” for hiring losing election candidates within the 1-year ban.
Accordingly, based on the BusinessWorld report, the SC decided on Montero’s case on July 27, 2022 and made public on Oct. 20, 2022.
In a report, Montero said that there is no truth to the BusinessWorld allegation that the SC already made a decision on her case.
Montero, who is currently a municipal councilor of Panglao, said the case is still with the Sandiganbayan as she already filed a motion for reconsideration on Nov. 7, 2022.
She added that in case the Sandiganbayan denies the motion for reconsideration, then Montero has the option to file an appeal with the SC.
The case stems from the allegation that Montero hired 4 losing candidates in 2013 even if there is a 1-year hiring ban.
The Sandiganbayan acquitted Montero for the violation of the hiring ban. However, the anti-graft court found guilty her of graft and ordered to pay back the salaries given to the 4 persons plus interest and a minimum of 24 years imprisonment.