Lapid returns to a hero's welcome

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga - Gov. Lito Lapid returned to a hero's welcome yesterday, with a plea to President Estrada to ignore "lies" about him and for the government to pin down the "real culprits" in the quarrying scam in which he was implicated.

At least 2,000 Lapid supporters wildly cheered as the governor arrived at the capitol here at about 8:45 a.m., with loudspeakers blaring the theme song of his cowboy movie Ang Pagbabalik ni Leon Guerrero.

Lapid reassumed his post after the Supreme Court, in a ruling last Wednesday, questioned the implementation of his one-year suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

In a press conference, Lapid pledged his support for President Estrada. "I have always repeated from the very beginning that I will support the President's projects, particularly those pertaining to food security," he said.

His supporters, however, have maintained that the cases against him were politically motivated, claiming they were filed after he failed to support Mr. Estrada during the 1998 presidential polls.

But an angry Lapid accused his political enemies in his province of orchestrating the lahar sand quarrying case that led to his suspension.

The DILG, assisted by the police, served the suspension order last March 22, a move the Supreme Court described as "premature."

The suspension order was based on the Ombudsman's finding that Lapid was guilty of "misconduct" in the collection of overpriced lahar sand quarrying fees, from the authorized P40 per truckload to P120.

Lapid, however, showed yesterday a special audit report released by the Commission on Audit (COA) last March 6, stating that the provincial government's records on quarrying operations in 1997 and the first quarter of 1998 were in order.

The COA, however, noted that some P8.3 million in quarrying fees were accounted for by the municipalities of Porac, Lubao and Mabalacat.

Under local laws, the provincial and municipal governments were supposed to each get 30 percent of the P40 lahar sand quarrying fee, while the barangay councils get a 40 percent share.

Lapid accused former Porac Mayor Roy David of being involved in the quarrying anomalies. David headed the provincial quarrying task force during the period covered by the COA report.

David's wife, provincial board member Edna David, was installed as acting governor when Lapid was suspended.

But Edna David denied her husband's involvement in the irregularities, saying Lapid "is being misled by his advisers."

Meanwhile, Lapid urged the President not to listen to accusations against him. He singled out Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Antonio Cerilles whom he accused of feeding the President with false reports on quarrying operations in Pampanga.

The National Resources Development Corp. (NRDC), the corporate arm of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), took over quarrying operations in Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales after Lapid was charged with the alleged anomalies.

Lapid said Cerilles' recent report that the NRDC collected some P150 million in Pampanga put him in a bad light. The figure, he said, actually represented NRDC's collections from the entire region.

Lapid said he is inclined to seek a third term as governor amid proposals for him to seek a seat in the Senate.

"I still want to remain close to you," he told his supporters, who carried streamers expressing their support for him and gratitude to the Supreme Court for reinstating him.

Vice Gov. Clayton Olalia, Lapid's co-accused, said he also received last Wednesday a notice from the DILG, signed by Undersecretary Narciso Santiago, allowing him to also reassume his post.

While the Ombudsman's suspension order stemmed from an administrative case, the criminal case is pending with the Sandiganbayan.

Lapid also faces another criminal case with the Sandiganbayan involving the allegedly anomalous purchase of a 60-hectare, P104-million parcel of land in San Fernando.