Masbate governor surrenders

MANILA, Philippines - Masbate Gov. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, who is facing plunder charges in connection with the pork barrel scam, surrendered to the police Wednesday night.

Lanete showed up at the office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at Camp Crame at around 8:30 p.m., hours after Associate Justice Jose Hernandez, chairman of the Sandiganbayan fourth division, ordered her arrest.

Aside from Lanete, ordered arrested were her former chief of staff Jose Sumalpong, alleged pork scam brains Janet Lim-Napoles and John Raymund de Asis.

CIDG chief Director Benjamin Magalong announced Lanete’s surrender yesterday morning. She is being held at the CIDG-National Capital Region detention cell.

The governor was accused of pocketing P108.4 million in public funds when she was still congresswoman from 2004 to 2010.

Magalong said Lanete underwent the booking process – her mugshots and fingerprints were taken and she was subjected to physical and medical examinations.

Aside from pocketing P108 million, she was also accused of misusing P112.29 million of her Priority Development Assistance Fund from 2007 to 2009.

Even before the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant for her arrest, Magalong said Lanete’s camp has been coordinating with his office for her surrender.

“We agreed that once the warrant is out, they would get in touch with me. Since then, we’ve been monitoring and coordinating,” Magalong said.

He clarified that Lanete did not ask for any compromise or arrangement for her surrender. He said the governor would be presented to the court today.

Meanwhile, the Sandiganbayan will decide where to detain Lanete as soon as she is presented before the anti-graft court.

Joffre Gil Zapata, clerk of court of the fourth division, said a commitment order would be issued for Lanete. 

Zapata said it would be up to the CIDG to either bring the accused to the anti-graft court or just file a report that they have her in their custody.

Lanete was among five former lawmakers recently charged by the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly pocketing public funds through bogus foundations allegedly set up by Napoles. – With Michael Punongbayan