Hold departure order issued vs ex-Lanao Norte gov

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan has issued a hold departure order against former Lanao del Norte governor Abdullah Dimaporo and five others who are facing charges of graft and malversation of public funds for alleged ghost projects.

In a two-page order, the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division said Dimaporo is barred from leaving the country without permission, along with provincial agriculturist Isabelo Luna, and Felizardo Dragon, Evangeline Ontiveros, Rosalinda Bisenio and Elmer Sayre, all officers of the Lanao Foundation Inc., a non-governmental organization.

Dimaporo and the other respondents were accused of conspiring for the release of P5 million to LFI for the purchase of 10,000 bags of Saka Organic fertilizer under the farm inputs and farm implement program of the Department of Agriculture. However, no such delivery and distribution of fertilizers allegedly happened.