Sandiganbayan arrests archives bureau director on graft charges

The director of the Bureau of Archives and Records Management was arrested yesterday on graft charges by the Sandiganbayan sheriff’s office in his office in Manila.

Sandiganbayan sheriff Edgardo Urieta said Ricardo Manapat, who assumed his post at the Bureau of Archives and Records Management only last August, was arrested on the strength of a warrant of arrest issued by the anti-graft court’s second division for his alleged participation in the illegal use of facilities and personnel of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) for the research and publication of the Smart Files magazine from 1992 to 1996.

In filing the graft case against him, the Office of the Ombudsman noted that Manapat was not even an employee of the PCA when he committed the violation.

The anti-graft court issued the first warrant for his arrest on June 9, 2000.

Aside from Manapat, former PCA chairman Virgilio David was charged as co-accused.

One of the arresting officers, who requested anonymity, said Manapat initially pleaded with them to defer his arrest since he had no money to post P30,000 bail. But he was later persuaded to go with the arresting officers after a lengthy discussion.