Sandigan raffles off graft case vs Lapid

MANILA, Philippines - The graft complaint filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against Sen. Lito Lapid was raffled yesterday to the same Sandiganbayan branch hearing the plunder charge against Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr.

The anti-graft court’s First Division, chaired by Associate Justice Efren de la Cruz, is assigned to hear the charge, which stemmed from the purchase of fertilizers about 10 years ago when Lapid was still governor of Pampanga province.

The division also handles the plunder charge against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on the alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds.

Accused with Lapid are provincial accountant Benjamin Yuzon and treasurer Vergel Yabut; Malayan Pacific Trading Corp. incorporators Ma. Victoria Aquino-Abubakar and Leolita Aquino; and D.A. Vazquez Macro-Micro Fertilizer Resources proprietor Dexter Alexander Vasquez.

The ombudsman claimed that the six connived with each other in the May 2004 purchase of 3,880 bottles of fertilizer at P1,250 per one-liter bottle using funds of the Department of Agriculture under the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani program. The transaction, according to the ombudsman, was done without public bidding.      

The provincial government allegedly bought the overpriced fertilizers using over P4.7 million in public funds in a transaction grossly and manifestly disadvantageous to Pampanga.