Lito Lapid enters ‘not guilty’ plea for graft, secures court nod for Germany trip

Sen. Lito Lapid on Thursday entered a "not guilty" plea for his graft case in connection with his alleged involvement in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

During the scheduled hearing of Lapid's motion to travel abroad, Sandiganbayan First Division chairman Associate Justice Efren Dela Cruz informed the senator that his motion cannot be granted by the court as he has yet to be arraigned for the case.

The First Division had earlier set the arraignment of Lapid and his five co-accused on March 10.

However, in his motion filed on Monday, Lapid asked the court to allow him to stay in Berlin, Germany for nine days or from March 7 to 15 to be part of the Philippine delegation to a tourism summit, the Internationale Tourismus Borse (ITB).

Lapid said that as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Tourism, his attendance at the event "is important if not indispensable, as participants from over 180 countries shall be on attendance."

"This event shall be the Philippines' platform to promote the country as a prime tourist spot," Lapid's motion read.

In connection with his motion to travel, Lapid asked that his arraignment be deferred pointing out that he still has a pending motion for reconsideration on the court's earlier ruling finding probable cause to hold him on trial.

However, during the hearing, the court maintained that Lapid's request to travel cannot be granted unless he agrees to a conditional arraignment.

After a brief discussion with his lawyers, Lapid agreed that his arraignment be held within the day's proceedings.

"Not guilty," Lapid said after the case information was read before him by the clerk of court as part of arraignment procedure.

Following his arraignment, Dela Cruz declared that "the accused's motion to travel to Germany is hereby granted over and above the opposition of the prosecution."

The court ordered Lapid to post a travel bond amounting P30,000.

In a short interview after the proceedings, Lapid said he eventually agreed to be arraigned despite his pending motion to dismiss the case as he is "confident" that the evidence against him was weak.

"Gusto ko na rin na umusad na ang kaso at tiwala naman tayo na mahina ang ebidensya laban sa atin. Naniniwala tayo na madi-dismiss ang kasong ito," Lapid said.

Lapid is facing a case of violation of Sections 3 (e) and 3 (g) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for the alleged anomalous purchase of overpriced liquid fertilizers amounting to P4.761 million without holding a public bidding.

The Office of the Ombudsman, who filed the case in November last year said the purchased items were also overpriced by as much as P4.268 million.

The offense was allegedly committed by Lapid and his co-accused sometime in May 2004 during his term as Pampanga governor.

The money for the purchase of the questioned items supposedly came from the P728-million funds of the Department of Agriculture for its Ginintuang Masaganang Ani Program.

The funds for the DA program, which was established to extend agricultural assistance for poor farmers, were allegedly diverted as campaign kitty of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the 2004 elections. —KG, GMA News