Former Bacolod mayor Valdez, aide Eligio get 14 yrs each for falsifying docs

Former Bacolod City mayor Luzviminda Valdez and her aide Brendo Eligio have been sentenced to 14 years in prison each by the Sandiganbayan's 6th Division for seven counts of malversation of public funds through falsification of documents involving tampered cash slips worth over P270,000.

The court found Valdez and Eligio guilty of conspiring to alter reimbursement documents, with Valdez claiming expenses that were significantly exaggerated compared to actual expenditures.

Three other officials who served under Valdez—Ricardo Dahildahil Jr., Eduardo Ravena, and Lalaine Villalva—were acquitted for lack of evidence linking them directly to the fraudulent activities.

Despite this conviction, the Sandiganbayan cleared both Valdez and Eligio of malversation of public funds due to insufficient proof that government-funded events did not occur.

Valdez and Eligio were also fined P5,000 each for each count of conviction.