Lanao del Norte Rep. Dimaporo arrested over fertilizer fund scam

The Sandiganbayan on Monday ordered the arrest of Lanao del Norte Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo in connection with the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

Sheriff Romula Barrozo served the arrest warrant at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center where Dimaporo was confined.

Dimaporo was suffering from a heart condition, according to Rep. Martin Romualdez, head of the independent bloc at the House of Representatives and an ally of Dimaporo’s.

Sheriff Division chief Albert dela Cruz told reporters that Dimaporo is now under their custody despite being in hospital.

“There are Sandiganbayan sherrifs in Cardinal Santos to keep guard of Dimaporo. Until we receive further order from the justices as to where we will commit him, Dimaporo will stay inside the hospital,” he said.

The Mindanaoan lawmaker faces ywo criminal lawsuits, one for graft and another for malversation, both in line with the fertilizer fund scam.

While Dimaporo’s lawyer posted P30,000 for his graft charge shortly after the warrant was served on Monday, the malversation charge is non-bailable, putting Dimaporo in temporarily hospital arrest.

Meanwhile, according to Romualdez, the independent bloc of the minority will continue to support Dimaporo, but ultimately leaves his fate with the courts.

“It’s with the lawyers right now. We will support our ally, if we can do anything in his defense, we shall. But it’s now a matter of lawyers and the court. [However] we're very sympathetic with him as our ally,” he said at a press conference in Quezon City.

The Office of the Ombudsman said Dimaporo had allowed the disbursement of P5 million for the purchase of organic fertilizers. However, the money was later traced to have gone into the Lanao Foundation Incorporated, a non-governmental organization Dimaporo founded in 1994. — KBK, GMA News