Panlilio files charges vs Lapids who deny charges

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Gov. Eddie Panlilio recently filed before the Office of the Ombudsman plunder charges against Sen. Lito and his son, former governor Mark Lapid in connection with alleged anomalies in lahar quarry funds during their gubernatorial terms in this province.

“They have to account for some P568 million lahar quarry funds missing during their terms,” Panlilio told newsmen after he filed his complaint before the Ombudsman in Quezon City.

Also named respondents in the plunder case were former provincial administrator Fidel Arcenas and former provincial treasurers Jovito Sabado and Vergel Yabut.

Panlilio said in a statement, “I filed the plunder case against these five former public officials to seek justice for our kabalen (provincemates) who – after being displaced, killed, hurt and impoverished by the eruptions of Mt. Pinatubo in June 1991 and the following lahar flows – had been deprived of basic social services due to the corrupt practices by the Lapid administrations.”

He said “evidence against the Lapids is strong,” as he cited records “the Lapid administrations collected only P121 million in sand and gravel taxes from 2002 to June 2007.”
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The collections under the Lapids should have amounted to at least P689 million based on the number of truckloads made to pay environmental ecological fees in the towns of Floridablanca, Mabalacat and Porac in five and a half years,” he said.

He said this means no less than P568 million were unaccounted for six years of the administrations of both Lapids.

This, after he reported his administration exceeded quarrying income records in this province as taxes from lahar sand and gravel industry reached P395.5 since he assumed post almost three years ago.

Panlilio noted that the P395.5 million raised under his administration is also more than double the total of P155.626 million collected in 11 years under the two Lapid administrations.

He noted that in 2006, Mark reported quarry income of only P26.1 million for the entire year.

“During my first months as governor after substantial funds were raised from quarrying operations, people began asking me why those who had cheated them before in quarry income should not be held responsible,” he said.

Panlilio also said “low collections during the Lapid administrations happened despite big-ticket infrastructure projects such as North Luzon Expressway and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.”

“Pampanga and the nearby provinces have no such big projects now, yet your provincial government has been able to collect quarry taxes in an unprecedented level,” he said.

The elder Lapid held the governorship for three consecutive terms before he became senator. He was succeeded by his son Mark whom Panlilio defeated in the 2007 polls. Mark is now officer-in-charge of the Philippine Tourism Authority. As governor of Pampanga, I have filed today a case of plunder against Sen. Manuel “Lito” Lapid and his son former governor Mark.

Mark Lapid dismissed as political propaganda the plunder charges filed against him and his father, Sen. Lito Lapid, by Panlilio.

Lapid said the complaint, which Panlilio filed before the Office of the Ombudsman the, was just a “rehash” of earlier charges that were eventually junked.

“We have not seen nor received (a copy) of the complaint yet, but we surmise that this is again a rehash and a ploy of the Lapids’ political opponents,” he said in a statement.

Lapid said a similar case was filed against him but was dismissed by both the Office of the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan.

He said Vice Gov. Yeng Guiao filed a case against him, too, and this is now pending before the Office of the Ombudsman.

He said he and his father are ready to answer the complaint against them as soon as they officially receive a copy of it.