Manapat explains absence in arraignment

Former National Archives director Ricardo Manapat tried to explain to the Sandiganbayan yesterday why he snubbed his Feb. 16 arraignment in which he faces graft charges.

His lawyer, Jose M. Jose, told the anti-graft court that Manapat did not attend because his presence was "not necessary."

Manapat, along with former Philippine Coconut Authority (Philcoa) chief Virgilio David, is accused of illegally using government facilities for personal use.

Manapat did not attend the arraignment because the case was "not yet ripe for arraignment or pre-trial," his lawyer said.

The court had yet to resolve Manapat’s motion for a reinvestigation of the charge against him, Jose said. "Manapat relied in good faith, his presence was not necessary."

Justice Edilberto Sandoval earlier ordered Manapat to justify why an arrest warrant on him should not be issued and his P30,000 bail canceled.

Manapat is facing a graft charge for allegedly using Philcoa facilities to publish his Smart Files magazine from 1992 to 1996. The magazine exposed corruption in government.

He is currently under investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission for allegedly forging documents to support a petition seeking the disqualification of opposition contender Fernando Poe Jr. from the May 10 presidential race.

Three archives employees have accused Manapat of ordering them in November and December to produce fake birth and marriage records to purportedly show that Poe was not a Filipino citizen and was therefore not qualified to run for president.

The Constitution expressly requires that the president should be a natural-born Filipino citizen.

Manapat went on indefinite leave after being accused of forgery. He denies the allegations.

The documents were used by lawyer Victorino Fornier in his disqualification petition against Poe filed with the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Manapat vouched for the authenticity of the documents — which he said were being kept at the National Archives — in a Comelec hearing in January on the petition.

The Comelec rejected the petition for lack of merit, prompting Fornier to elevate it to the Supreme Court.

The tribunal, which is studying two other similar petitions, is weighing arguments on whether or not to disqualify Poe on citizenship grounds.

The petitioners claim Poe is not a natural-born Filipino citizen because his parents allegedly held foreign citizenship. Poe should have assumed the American citizenship of his mother because he was born out of wedlock.

Children born out of wedlock should assume the citizenship of the mother, they argue.

Poe’s camp believes the Arroyo administration is orchestrating the petitions and has pressured the Supreme Court to hand down an adverse ruling against Poe to derail his presidential bid. Malacañang denies the charge.