Former Mayor Juan Rivera of Guinobatan Albay was sentenced to 135 years in jail convicted of 17 counts of malversation of public funds.

As to the Sandiganbayan Second division decision, the solon was found guilty stealing government funds thus failure to liquidate the total of P357,956.08 released to him from June 1998 to April 2001.

In the investigation made, the amount was released to the former Mayor by 17 cheques cash advances from the bank account of the local government of Guinobatan.

According to Commission on Audit (COA) the solon did not return the unliquidated funds despite their notice.  But Rivera denied it by pointing the accusations to the municipal treasurer who is the one who en-cashed the cheques.

The court added that Rivera’s denial of receiving cash advances is obviously a mere afterthought.  Sandiganbayan added the former Mayor did not raise this early to them.

The cash advances were given from 1998 to 2001 and remain unliquidated as of August 31, 2004, when the demand letter was sent to him. But then Rivera  failed to liquidate his cash advances in the period required by the rules .