Sandiganbayan orders arrest of officials involved in swine program

MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) – The Sandiganbayan on Wednesday, December 4, issued an arrest warrant for former Agriculture Secretary Luis Ramon Lorenzo Jr and 3 other officials of the Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corporation (Quedancor) over the implementation of the controversial Quedancor Swine Program (QSP).

Aside fron Lorenzo, the others named in the arrest warrant are Quedancor CEO Nelson Buenaflor and board members Romeo Lanciola and Jesus Simon (his name is on the second page of the warrant). 

Graft charges were also filed against officials of Metro Livestock Inc general manager Joel Salazar and incorporators Excel Salazar, Francis Edison Peña, Teresa Adille, and Santiago Baldado.

The controversy exploded during the administration of President Gloria Arroyo when then Senator Panfilo Lacson led an investigation into allegations that funds of QSP were diverted to finance Arroyo’s 2004 presidential campaign.

The QSP is a credit program meant to support swine raisers by lending them supplies.

The Office of the Ombudsman discovered that Quedancor awarded purchase contracts worth more than P48.6 million to a company called Metro Livestock Inc without the required public bidding.

Metro Livestock Inc failed to deliver borrowers supplies amounting to at least P47 million.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales filed graft charges on July 12 against Lorenzo and the officials of Quedancor.

Quedancor is a government-owned and -controlled corporation. Aside from the 4 named in the warrant, board members Wilfredo Domo-ong and Nellie Ilas faced charges but posted bail even before any warrant was issued. – Rappler.com