Sandigan denies Dimaporo bail plea

MANILA, Philippines—The Sandiganbayan has denied the bail motion of former Lanao Del Norte Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo who faces malversation charges over the fertilizer fund scam.

In a resolution, the antigraft court Special Second Division denied Dimaporo’s bail because the malversation charge involving P5 million in public funds is a serious offense punishable by reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment.

“No amount of protestations and arguments against the charge … as well as discussion of evidence presented before the Ombudsman… would authorize the fixing of the amount of bail for said accused,” according to the resolution penned by Associate Justice Oscar Herrera.

The court effectively denied Dimaporo’s very urgent motion to fix bail filed in August 2013.

Associate Justices Herrera, Napoleon Inoturan and Rodolfo Ponferrada dissented on the bail petition, while Associate Justices Samuel Martires and Teresita Diaz-Baldos approved it.

Dimaporo faces malversation of public funds and graft for the purchase and ghost delivery of 10,000 bags of Saka Organic fertilizers worth P5 million under the Farm Inputs and Farm Implement Program of the Department of Agriculture through the Lanao Foundation Inc. (LFI), an NGO formed by the lawmaker in 1994.

Dimaporo was accused of faking the delivery receipts for the fertilizers, the Ombudsman said. No such program was also implemented.

Dimaporo’s bogus fertilizer transaction is said to be part of the several projects under the P728-million fertilizer fund scam orchestrated by Agriculture Undersecretary Joc-Joc Bolante as part of the scheme to divert public funds to the 2004 campaign kitty of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.