BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya ,Philippines ,Philippines – The Sandiganbayan has ordered former Isabela governor Grace Padaca’s inclusion in the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) hold departure list, in connection with a P25 million malversation case filed against her and two others.
Padaca’s co-accused are Vice Mayor Cervando Soriano of Roxas town in Isabela and Dionisio Pine, manager of the Economic Development for Western Isabela and Northern Luzon Foundation, Inc. (EDWINLFI).
The case against Padaca stemmed from a complaint filed by former Isabela representative Santiago Respicio in 2007, which alleged that she and her co-accused misappropriated some P25 million in public funds, which were channeled to EDWINLFI, a private entity.
The P25-million was part of the P35-million loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines intended for the province’s Priority Agricultural Modernization Project or Priority Hybrid Rice Program, which EDWINLFI had implemented.
Respicio claimed Padaca unjustly favored EDWINLFI by issuing the P25-million through a mere memorandum ratified by the provincial board instead of a public bidding.
Former vice governor Ramon Reyes, an ally of Padaca, had since defended the former governor, saying she did not personally benefit from said amount.