News Briefs: Ex-Camarines Norte gov in fertilizer scam charged

Ex-Camarines Norte gov in fertilizer scam charged

Former Camarines Norte governor Jesus Typoco Jr. is the latest to be charged with graft in connection with the 2004 fertilizer fund scam. The Office of the Ombudsman has accused Typoco, six other provincial officials and the fertilizer supplier of causing undue injury to the government by purchasing P4-million worth of liquid fertilizer allegedly “without competitive bidding.” The March 2004 purchase was supposedly tainted with irregularities because the purchase request specifically stated the brand Hexaplus Liquid Fertilizer (11-7-11), which is distributed by Hexaphil Agriventures Inc. Also accused were provincial accountant Maribeth Alaluan, bids and awards committee chair Jose Atienza, and BAC members Lorna Coreses, Cesar Paita, Rodolfo Salamero and Jose Rene Ruidera. Also charged was Hexaphil president Alex Rivera. —Vince F. Nonato

Loot’s wife faces graft raps over unpaid loan

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has ordered the filing of graft and malversation charges against former Daanbantayan, Cebu, Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot for allegedly neglecting the P500,000 loaned by the town to quail traders. The Ombudsman issued a resolution finding probable cause to indict Loot, the wife of current mayor and retired Chief Supt. Vicente Loot. The Ombudsman said Loot and loan grantee Samuel Moralde face possible charges at the Sandiganbayan for malversation of public finds and violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Case records showed that RBA Quail Raisers Association on Jan. 31, 2007 requested financial assistance from the local government to expand its agribusiness. On Feb. 28 that year, the municipality agreed to extend a P500,000 loan to RBA. Moralde represented himself as RBA chair. To date, the loan remains unpaid. —Vince F. Nonato

2 NPA members killed in firefight

Two members of the New People’s Army were killed in a firefight with government troopers in Loreto town, Agusan del Sur on Thursday, the military said. One member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) also died. The encounter happened at 1:30 p.m. in the outskirts of Sitio Mandanao, Barangay Bunucayan in Loreto. Lt. Col. Rommel Pagayon, commanding officer of the Army’s 26th Infantry Batallion, said he sent his men to the area after receiving reports about “NPA extortion activities.” —Philip C. Tubeza

SC asks judge to decide on murder case vs ex-solons

The Supreme Court has ordered a judge of the regional trial court in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija to quickly decide whether there was probable cause to charge four former Makabayan bloc party-list congressmen accused of murdering three persons from a rival group. In a 17-page decision dated Feb. 15, the high tribunal ordered Judge Evelyn Turla of the Palayan RTC Branch 40 to act “with due and deliberate dispatch” on the murder cases that provincial prosecutors filed in 2008 against former lawmakers Liza Maza, Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño, and Rafael Mariano, currently the agrarian reform secretary. In July 2008, the judge ordered the cases against the four remanded to the prosecutor’s office for another preliminary investigation. —Jerome Aning