PAGC investigating Manapat; FPJ to be invited

He is by no means off the hook.

Fired National Archives Director Ricardo Manapat faces investigation by the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission on corruption charges, PAGC Chairman Dario Rama said yesterday.

The PAGC is also summoning opposition Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. to shed light on Manapat’s alleged falsification of public documents pertaining to Poe’s citizenship and legal status.

Manapat is the subject of a graft complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman on Jan. 27 by National Archives employees Remmel Talabis, Emman Llamera and Vicelyn Tarin.

They accused Manapat of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by fabricating documents that put Poe’s citizenship and legal status in question and supporting the petition for Poe’s disqualification from the presidential race.

The Ombudsman has agreed to try the criminal aspect of the case, while the PAGC disposes of the administrative aspect.

Talabis, Llamera and Tarin, through their lawyer Demaree Raval, have not objected to the arrangement, Rama said.

Poe was subpoenaed at his residence in Greenhills, San Juan to produce documents that can aid the PAGC in the conduct of its investigation. Among the documents subpoenaed by the PAGC are Poe’s birth and baptismal certificates, as well as the marriage contract of his parents, Allan Fernando Poe and Bessie Kelley.

While Poe is not required to attend the PAGC proceedings, he may submit the documents sought by the commission.

PAGC legal research director Ramon Gatchalian confirmed that Manapat is indeed under investigation by the commission.

The Poe camp is suspicious of the PAGC subpoena. Poe’s media chief, Rodolfo Reyes said the subpoena may have been issued to keep the citizenship issue hounding Poe alive to adversely affect his campaign for the helm of government.

"I’m just wondering why he is... being subpoenaed when he is not a government official," Reyes said. "I think the PAGC should ask for the documents from the Senate."

One vote short

Short by one vote, Senate committee report 517 recommending the filing of criminal charges against Manapat was not adopted by the chamber, Senate Secretary Oscar Yabes said.

Yabes said that, in the Senate, the rule of majority, "in simple terms, is one half plus one. If there are 18 senators present, the majority is 10."

The report recommends that Manapat be charged with falsification of public documents, perjury, incriminatory machinations, theft, infidelity in the custody of documents, violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act and obstruction of justice.

The report stated that Manapat pressured National Archives employees into forging the birth certificate of Poe’s father, the elder Poe’s marriage contract with a certain Paulita Gomez and the bigamy charge supposedly filed by Gomez against the elder Poe.

The documents were presented by lawyer Victorino Fornier before the Commission on Elections in the disqualification suit he filed against Poe. The Comelec has rejected Fornier’s petition. – Jose Rodel Clapano, Paolo Romero