Aquino sued for plunder by militant peasant group
A member of a militant peasant group carries a “shoulder-load” of documents to back up a complaint of plunder against President Aquino for the alleged misuse of P125 million in the Malampaya Fund. The case was filed in the Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines—The militant peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) filed Tuesday a complaint for plunder against President Aquino, two Cabinet officials and 10 others in connection with the alleged diversion of P125 million from the Malampaya Fund to bogus nongovernment organizations (NGOs) in 2011.
In a 16-page complaint-affidavit with attached 70 pieces of documentary evidence, the KMP asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the release of part of the government share in the revenues from the operation of natural gas fields off Palawan province to finance non-energy related ghost projects.
Also named respondents were Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes, along with three of their undersecretaries and seven private individuals, alleged pork barrel scam queen Janet Lim-Napoles and whistle-blower Benhur Luy.
The filing of the complaint came on the eve of the 27th anniversary of the infamous Mendiola massacre of militant farmers marching on Malacañang in 1987 to demand that then President Corazon Aquino fulfill her campaign promise to carry out genuine agrarian reform. Thirteen of the marchers were shot and killed by soldiers. Nationwide protest marches by KMP members are scheduled today.
The complaint, which also called for the preventive suspension of the respondents, alleged that the Malampaya Fund was used to finance the “preposterous” purchase of earthworms for various projects, such as organic farming.
It said the President was being implicated for approving the release of the Malampaya Fund for “projects or purposes not in accord with the law.” The money was allegedly released by the Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Agrarian Reform to projects of dubious NGOs controlled by Napoles.
The complaint said that those projects were not related to development of energy resources in violation of Presidential Decree No. 910 which specified the use of the Malampaya Fund.
“More importantly, those projects were never implemented. Thus, the millions of pesos released to the NGOs were squandered,” it added.
“Obviously, Mr. Aquino and his political lieutenants colluded with fake NGOs to deliberately plunder the Malampaya Fund,” Rafael Mariano, KMP chair, said.
It was the second plunder complaint against the President and Abad filed by the KMP. In October last year, the KMP also filed plunder charges against the President, Abad, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and six other ranking government officials in the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the pork barrel scam.
