Ex-Pampanga mayor links Lapid to other 'anomalies'

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga - A former municipal mayor, whom Gov. Lito Lapid accused of being the real culprit in alleged lahar sand quarrying anomalies in the province, fired back yesterday and accused Lapid of certain irregularities.

Former Porac Mayor Roy David cited reports that Lapid had allegedly diverted a P5-million donation for lahar victims, supposedly from Don Emilio Yap, board chairman of Manila Bulletin, to purchase a new car.

David accused Lapid's aide, Adelaido Manabat, former chief of the provincial disaster coordinating council (PDCC), of failing to liquidate some P600,000 in cash advances.

The amount, David alleged, could have been used in the 1998 elections.

Lapid returned to his post last Monday after the Supreme Court stopped the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Office of the Ombudsman from enforcing his one-year suspension.

The suspension stemmed from the Ombudsman's finding that Lapid was guilty of "misconduct" for the alleged overcharging of lahar sand quarrying fees.

David said his exposés were provoked by Lapid's allegations that he was the real culprit in the lahar sand quarrying anomalies.

Lapid had cited a March report of the Commission on Audit (COA), indicating that some P8.2 million in quarrying fees have not been accounted for by the municipalities of Porac, Bacolor and Mabalacat during David's term as chairman of the provincial quarrying task force.

Voltaire San Pedro, the provincial government's information officer, denied David's allegations. He cited records from the provincial treasurer's office showing that the P5-million donation from Yap has been fully liquidated.

"There's even another P5-million donation from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office which has also been fully accounted for," San Pedro added.

San Pedro, however, admitted that Manabat had made cash advances as head of the PDDC. He cited records from the provincial treasurer's office showing that Manabat had made cash advances of P50,000 on Jan. 8, 1997 and P500,000 on Aug. 26 that year, and that only about P56,000 of the total amount has been liquidated.

San Pedro added that Manabat also had cash advances of P20,000 on Aug. 6, 1996 and another P150,000 on March 31, 1998, both from trust funds provided by the National Disaster Coordinating Council. The amounts have also not been liquidated.

"The dates of the cash advances indicate that the amounts could not have been used for the elections in May 1998," San Pedro said.

He said that only Manabat, and not Lapid, should be made answerable for the cash advances.

"The provincial auditor is now preparing charges against Manabat," he said.

David denied Lapid's allegations that he had orchestrated the quarrying cases against the governor.

"I had been living a quiet life until I was dragged into this controversy," said David, whose wife, provincial board member Edna David, was installed as acting governor when Lapid was suspended.

Accusing Lapid of vindictiveness, David said, "It is not my fault that my wife took over as acting governor whenever he was suspended, as she is the most senior provincial board member."