Sandiganbayan orders arrest of Masbate guv
THE Sandiganbayan ordered the arrest of Masbate Gov. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete yesterday after the anti-graft court found probable cause to try her for plunder and graft charges in connection with her alleged involvement in the pork barrel fund scam.
The ruling and the attached arrest order were signed by Sandiganbayan Fourth Division Chairman Jose Hernandez and members Associate Justices Alex Quiroz and Oscar Herrera Jr.
“After evaluating the joint resolution of the Office of the Ombudsman ... the court finds probable cause to hold the accused for trial for the crime of plunder. Wherefore, let a warrant of arrest be issued against the accused,” the court said in its ruling on the Seachon-Lanete plunder case.
Included in the arrest order were Lanete’s co-accused in the 11 counts of graft: Department of Budget and Management Undersecretary Mario Relampagos, DBM officials Rosario Nuñez, Lalaine Paule and Marilou Bare, former Technology Resource Center director Dennis Cunanan and National Agri-Business Corp. officials Allan Javellana, Rhodora Mendoza and Victor Roman Cacal.
For graft charges, arrest orders were also issued against Evelyn de Leon, Gondelina Amata, Francisco Figura, Gregoria Buenaventura, Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal, Chita Jalandoni, Sofia Cruz, Ofelia Ordoñez, Eulogio Rodriguez, Maria Ninez Guañizo, Maria Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, Henry Soli- man, Romulo Relevo, Salvador Salacup, Eduardo Nolasco, Roy Bongalo, Antonio Ortiz, Marivic Jover, Ma. Rosalinda Lacsamana, Filipina Rodriguez, Jeaneth dela Cruz and Consuelo Lilian Espiritu.
Lanete was a former lawmaker of Masbate in the 15th Congress. She was in the second batch of lawmakers recently charged by the Office of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.
Based on the complaint of the Ombudsman, Lanete allegedly received P108.4-million worth of kickbacks for allowing the allocation of her Priority Development Assistance Fund to fake non-government organizations allegedly owned by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.