MANILA (UPDATED) – Senator
Manuel “Lito” Lapid was accused by the Office of the Ombudsman of Anti-Graft
and Corrupt Practices Act in joining with the P728 million fertilizer fund
scam. The ombudsman said a special panel determined that Lapid, Provincial
Accountant Benjamin Yuzon and Provincial Treasurer Vergel Yabut committed
several violations of the procurement rules after buying fertilizer, which was ten
times higher than its original price.
The Ombudsman panel has showed
some records showing the provincial government, under Lapid, acquired 3,880
liters of fertilizer at P1,250 per liter from Macro-Micro Fertilizer in 2004,
that time Lapid was the governor of Pampanga. The provincial government paid a
total of P4,761,818.18 for that fertilizer alone. It was shown in
the investigation that the same kind of fertilizer cost only P120 per liter.
Ombudsman resolution believed
that if the Provincial government of Pampanga assumed the purchase through
public bidding, it could have purchased a fertilizer of equal or better quality
than Macro-Micro Foliar Fertilizer at a lesser or competitive cost.
Aside the three, there are some
people who are also charged in the graft case included the incorporators of Malayan Pacific Trading
Corporation (MPTC) Ma. Victoria Aquino-Abubakar and Leolita Aquino, and Dexter
Alexander Vasquez, Proprietor of D.A. Vazquez Macro-Micro Fertilizer Resources.
It was found out, on March 18, 2004, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
of Pampanga adopted Resolution No. 72 allowing Lapid to enter on the behalf of
the province, into a contract with the Department of Agriculture Regional Field
Unit III (DA RFU III) for the operation of the Farm Input/Implement
Fund/Program (FIFI) in line with the DA’s Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA)
Program.
After 11 days, the Agriculture
Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante issued a Memo requesting for the approval of Sub-Allotment Advise (SAA) for
P5,000,000.00. This was covered by Sub-Allotment Release Order (SARO) No.
E-04-00164.
On May 21, 2004, then Governor
Lapid issued a Purchase Request covering the procurement of 3,880 bottles of
fertilizer at P1,250.00 per liter/bottle.He also issued a certification that
"there was no suitable fertilizer substitute with the same quality"
and that the mode of procurement would be a straight purchase from MPTC.
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| Photo credit: interaksyon |
The
Ombudsman stated Lapid, Yabut and Yuzon collaborated with Vasquez, Aquino and
Abubakar for the purchase of the fertilizers "in complete disregard of
Republic Act No. 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act) and its Implementing
Rules and Regulations."
