Dimaporo seeks bail

Lanao del Norte Representative Abdullah Dimaporo INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Detained Lanao del Norte Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo has asked the Sandiganbayan to grant his request to post bail in connection with the graft and malversation of public funds charges filed against him by the Office of the Ombudsman after being implicated in the P720-million fertilizer scam in 2004.

In a six-page urgent motion to post bail before the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division, Dimaporo said his constituents in his district would be greatly prejudiced by his untimely incarceration as a result of the case.

Dimaporo, along with provincial agriculturist Isabelo Luna VI, and private individuals Felizardo Dragon, Evangeline Ontiveros, Rosalinda Bisenio and Elmer Sayre, was charged with violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Dimaporo was accused of diverting P5 million in public funds to his Lanao Foundation Inc., making it appear that fertilizers were distributed to farmers under Department of Agriculture’s farm input and farm implement program. According to the Office of the Ombudsman, “no such delivery and distribution of fertilizers happened.”

The Sandiganbayan allowed Dimaporo to post a P30,000 bail for the graft case but granted the Ombudsman’s recommendation to deny him bail for the malversation charge.—Cynthia D. Balana