MANILA — The Sandiganbayan has denied a motion for reconsideration filed by a private individual convicted along with government officials over ghost vehicle repair contracts worth ₱83 million.

In a 26-page resolution dated Dec. 15, the anti-graft court’s Seventh Division denied for lack of merit the motion filed by Janette Bugayong in a case brought by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2013 involving ghost repairs and fictitious procurement of spare parts for Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) service vehicles.

“The court agrees with the prosecution that the grounds put forth by accused Bugayong in her motion for reconsideration were mere rehash of her arguments in her comment to (the) prosecution’s motion for execution and which were extensively threshed out by the Court in its resolution,” the Sandiganbayan said.

The court said Bugayong failed to appear during the March 14 promulgation of the decision convicting her of multiple counts of violation of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and estafa through falsification of public documents.

“Since she failed to surrender within 15 days from promulgation of the decision, the court declared that she failed to regain her legal standing in court,” it said.

“Bugayong’s non-compliance with the requirements of the Rules of Court was glaring that the court has no other recourse but to deny her motion for leave of court to file post-judgment remedies,” the tribunal added.

On March 14, the Seventh Division found Bugayong, owner of GK&J Auto Repairs, and her co-accused—former DPWH assistant director Florendo Arias, former accountant Rogelio Beray, and former supply officer Napoleon Anas—guilty of multiple counts of graft and estafa through falsification of public documents.

They were sentenced to up to eight years in prison for graft, with the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, and up to 10 years in prison for estafa through falsification. The accused were also ordered to jointly pay the government ₱1.9 million in civil liability.