BUTUAN CITY (PNA) – Four former officials of the Department of Agriculture-Caraga facing graft charges were arrested, the Police Regional Office-13 said Friday, June 23.
“We are tasked to enforce the law in a manner that treats all individuals equally, regardless of their social status or positions,” PRO-13 chief Police Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II said in a statement.
Arrested were Edgardo Dahino, 67, former DA-Caraga assistant regional director; Jessica Da-An, 62, ex-chief administrator and finance officer; Merylinda Santos, 65, former budget officer; and Gerry Leop, 54, ex-regional accountant.
They are connected with the 2004 fertilizer fund scam allegedly masterminded by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the so-called “pork barrel” queen.
The four former officials were allegedly responsible for the Agricultural Reinforcement Project entered into by the municipality of Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte with Napoles-linked non-government organization Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc.
They were separately arrested on Thursday, June 22, in this city by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Agusan del Norte.
All four are facing charges for violation of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices) and Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code for malversation.
A bail bond of P210,000 each was set by the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division for their temporary liberty.