DFA to assist Lapid's wife in smuggle raps

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is coordinating with Sen. Lito Lapid and his family on assistance for his wife who is now facing dollar smuggling charges in the United States.

“We are coordinating with them as to the kind of assistance they would need from us,” said DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez.

Marissa Lapid reportedly apologized to US authorities following her arrest in Las Vegas for allegedly smuggling $50,000 in cash.

The senator said his wife has submitted herself to the jurisdiction of a US court, which has authority over the case.

Lapid confirmed the arrest of his wife on Wednesday and that she had posted bail.

In a telephone interview, Lapid also confirmed the existence of the house in Las Vegas cited by his wife as the reason she was carrying the huge amount of cash.

Lapid, however, said the house belonged to a corporation.

Filmer Abrajano, Lapid’s chief of staff, said he knew of a house somewhere in the US where Marissa would stay whenever she would go there, but he did not have any other information.

Lapid himself declined to give more details about the case his wife is now facing before the Nevada district court.

He asked that the case be left in the hands of his wife’s American lawyer in Nevada.

The Lapids are known to have several homes in the Philippines. They have owned a house in Quezon City before they built a mansion in Lapid’s birthplace in Porac, Pampanga where their son Mark, who also became governor of the province, also owns a huge house.

Lapid was reported to have bought houses in Angeles City and Makati City in connection with his political plans in these places.

Marissa’s reference to a house in the US was cited in the affidavit of Albert Giangregorio, special agent of the Homeland Security Investigation.

The affidavit was among the pieces of evidence submitted to US Magistrate Judge Peggy Leen who issued the warrant of arrest against Marissa last Jan. 5.

The affidavit stated that when Marissa, upon arrival at the Las Vegas International Airport on Nov. 27 last year, was asked about the $50,000 she did not declare before Customs officials there, she replied, “I’m sorry. It’s for my house.”

Giangregorio also said Marissa apologized and repeated several times, “I screwed up.”

US authorities at the airport confiscated the cash, although Marissa was not detained. She even reportedly flew back to spend Christmas in the Philippines.

Last Jan. 5, an arrest warrant was issued against her by the Nevada court for bulk cash smuggling, leading to her arrest last Jan. 15 when she deplaned in Las Vegas.

Documents from the Nevada court, however, indicated that Marissa was required to wear a security bracelet to enable monitoring of her movements and was likewise required to stay put at home within a county in Nevada unless she is permitted to go elsewhere. –