Sandigan junks Dimaporo bail petition

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan has junked the petition for bail filed by Lanao del Norte Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo, who is on trial for graft.

 In a decision on Thursday, the anti-graft court said Dimaporo failed to prove that the evidence against him is weak.          

Dimaporo, who is under “hospital arrest” at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, filed the petition  last August.

Dimaporo, former provincial agriculturist Isabelo Luna and private individuals Felizardo Dragon, Evangeline Ontiveros, Rosalinda Bisenio and Elmer Sayre were indicted for offenses similar to the fertilizer fund scam amounting to P5 million in 2004.

They were accused of authorizing the release of public funds for the purchase of 10,000 bags of fertilizer, but no deliveries were made.

The money was reportedly funneled to the Lanao Foundation Inc., a non-government organization that Dimaporo founded in 1994.