Ex-agriculture chief faces graft raps for P13.5-M fund grant

MANILA, Philippines — Former agriculture secretary Proceso Alcala has been charged with graft before the Sandiganbayan in connection with his alleged grant of P13.5 million to an unqualified foundation, one of the incorporators of which was his head executive assistant.

The Office of the Ombudsman said Alcala, as agriculture chief during the Aquino administration, gave unwarranted benefit to Isa Akong Magsasaka Foundation Inc. by approving its accreditation as “development partner” of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in connection with the construction of a corn processing center.

The case was filed before the Sandiganbayan on July 13.

Alcala supposedly entered into a memorandum of agreement with the foundation’s president, Bautista Ella, in September 2012.

The ombudsman said the foundation should not have been accredited and awarded with the project as one of its incorporators was Alcala’s head executive assistant Laureano Arnulfo Mañalac, also the father-in-law of Ella.

The anti-graft agency said the grant of the public fund to a foundation whose incorporator was a government official was in violation of Commission on Audit Circular No. 2007-001.

Aside from Alcala, Mañalac and Ella were also named as respondents.

Mañalac was separately charged with two counts of violation of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and another two counts of perjury under Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code over his alleged failure to declare in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) for 2010 and 2011 his business interest with the foundation.

The ombudsman said Mañalac contributed P200,000 to the foundation as one of its incorporators.