Suspension of budget exec, staff over ‘pork barrel’ scam deferred
The Sandiganbayan’s suspension on Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos and his staff was deferred after the officials facing graft over the pork barrel scam filed their motions for reconsideration.
In a press conference Friday, the antigraft court Third Division Clerk of Court Atty. Dennis Pulma said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) legal service department could not yet implement the 90-day suspension order on Relampagos, Rosario Nuñez, Lalaine Paule and Marilou Bare because of their appeals.
Pulma said the court ordered the implementation of the suspension order unless a motion of reconsideration is filed.
The DBM officials were suspended as they face graft charges in the scam allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim-Napoles.
They were accused of expediting the issuance of lawmakers’ Special Allotment Release Orders of their Priority Development Assistance Funds only to be allegedly plundered by Napoles and five other solons.
Also suspended due to graft are Technology Resource Center (TRC) accountant Marivic Jover, and National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC) President Gondelina Amata as well as her staff members Emmanuel Sevidal, Chita Jalandoni, Sofia Cruz and Gregoria Buenaventura.
They are accused of using their government owned and controlled corporations to pour in lawmakers’ pork barrel funds to the bogus nongovernment organizations linked to Napoles.
Pulma said the NLDC has informed the court it has suspended the officials involved in the scam, but they are still allowed to file their motions for reconsideration.
The court has yet to hear about the suspension order against Jover of TRC, Pulma said.
The court granted the prosecution’s motion to suspend the officials for 90 days on suspicions that respondents may use their positions to influence witnesses or tamper with evidence.
Napoles, three senators and two former representatives are detained for plunder over the scam for spending public funds to ghost projects for kickbacks.
