SC orders Sandiganbayan to hold graft trial on Lapid for fertilizer fund scam

December 5, 2019

The Supreme Court has paved the way for the Sandiganbayan to proceed with the graft trial against Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid and three officers of a trading firm in connection with his alleged involvement in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

In a 13-page decision Thursday by Associate Justice Jose Reyes, Jr., the SC’s Second Division set aside the resolution issued by the anti-graft court on September 30, 2016 and December 13, 2016 dismissing the graft cases against Lapid, Malayan Pacific Trading  Corporation (MPTC) officials Ma. Victoria Aquino-Abubakar, Leolita Aquino and Macro-Micro Fertilizer Resources proprietor Alexander S.D. Vasquez.

The Sandiganbayan dismissed the case against Lapid due to violation of the respondents' right to a speedy disposition of their cases.

Lapid was elected to the senate in 2016. 

The offense was allegedly committed by Lapid and his co-accused in 2004 when he was governor of Pampanga. DMS