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Saturday, March 03, 2007
Graft, other charges filed v. Lapids, 22 others
By Marna H. Dagumboy
QUEZON CITY -- Criminal and administrative charges were filed Friday against Senator Manuel "Lito" Lapid, his son Pampanga Governor Mark Lapid, and 22 others over the alleged P11.4 million double-funded "ghost projects."
Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007
Pampanga Vice Governor Joseller "Yeng" Guiao, who filed the charges before the Office of the Ombudsman, asked for the suspension of the Lapids and the other respondents in his complaints.
Guiao's complaint stemmed from the five infrastructure projects allegedly implemented in the barangays of Concepcion in San Simon town; Mandili and Lourdes in Candaba town; and Tabuyuk-Balucuc, Apalit, and La Paz-Santo Rosario in Magalang.
But Governor Lapid, in response to the charges, said the provincial projects were above board, having been subjected to proper procedure before their implementation.
Guiao filed five cases of fraud against the public treasury; malversation of public funds; violation of anti-graft and corrupt practices act; and violation of the code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees against the Lapids and 22 others.
The vice governor said the Lapids and 22 private individuals allegedly conspired to defraud the government by way of double funding "ghost projects" amounting to P11.4 million.
He said the five infra projects were funded twice: through the 20 percent Development Fund of Pampanga and the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of Senator Lapid through a Special Allotment Release Order (Saro).
Guiao also claimed that the alleged "ghost projects" were either not undertaken or not completed as attested by the barangay captains in the area were the infra projects were implemented.
Asked why he filed the charges at time of the elections, Guiao explained that his office had a hard time convincing the sources to come forward with the documents to be used as evidence in the charges.
With or without the elections, Guiao said he would still have filed the cases against the Lapids.
Named respondents with the Lapids were Provincial Accountant Benjamin Yuson; Treasurer Vergel Yabut; Administrator Fidel Arcenas; engineer Juanito Macatuno; project engineer Nonato Miranda; engineer Antonio Mercado; provincial planning and development officer Fernando Henson; engineer Lulu Alingcastre (General Services Officer); Budget Officer Nida Manalad; acting Provincial Legal Officer Regina Guarin; project engineers Meynard Laxa, Ricardo Malonzo, Edgardo Ticsay, Ramonito Bautista, Leonardo Canlas; DPWH district engineer Enrico Guilas; DPWH assistant district engineer Manuel Pasco; DPWH accountant Felma Sanchez; Paul Aldana of the P.P. Aldana Construction and Supply; Romulo Galang of 3R-2F Construction and Trading; Joel Ubaldo of JPU Builders; and Israel Eusoof of Baby E. Construction and Trading.
The governor said in a statement that the charges were "politically motivated."
"How else to explain the timing," Lapid stressed.
He added that the provincial projects went through proper accounting and auditing procedures.
Lapid, however, said that to set the record straight, he gave provincial engineer Macatuno 24 hours to submit a full and detailed report on the circumstances surrounding the implementation of the projects. (Sun.Star Pampanga/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (March 3, 2007 issue)
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