4 former DA-Caraga execs arrested for graft

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Four former officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) office in Caraga have been arrested in connection with the graft and malversation charges they are facing before the Sandiganbayan.

Former DA assistant regional director Edgardo Dahino, former administrator and finance officer Jessica Da-An, former budget officer Merylinda Santos and former accountant Gerry Leop were apprehended on Thursday, Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II, Caraga police director, said.

Personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and local police served the arrest warrants dated May 26 issued by the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division.

The court recommended bail of P210,000 each.

The four were implicated in the fertilizer fund scam in 2004 in which alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles was also tagged.

The charges stemmed from allegations that the four former officials were responsible for an agricultural project entered into by the municipal government of Del Carmen in Surigao del Norte with a non-government organization linked to Napoles.