Napoles charged with graft anew

Convicted plunderer Janet Lim-Napoles has been charged with graft anew in the Sandiganbayan along with former Nueva Ecija Rep. Aurelio Umali and six others for the alleged misuse of P15 million from Umali’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocation in 2005.

Napoles was convicted of plunder in December last year  for her role in the misuse of the PDAF of former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.

Umali was charged with four counts each of graft and malversation while accountant Renato Manalansan and Evelyn de Leon, president of Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc., faced one count each.

Also charged with four counts each of graft and malversation were Renato Manantan, regional officer in charge of the Department of Agriculture in Central Luzon, and accountant Narciso Maningding.

Anita Tansipek, president of Samahan ng mga Manininda ng Prutas sa Gabi Inc., and Corazon Bautista faced three counts each of graft and malversation.

The case against Umali and his coaccused stemmed from his decision to endorse a Napoles-controlled nongovernmental organization (NGO) as project partner for local livelihood projects without public bidding.

The Office of the Ombudsman said the NGO was “unaccredited and unqualified to undertake the projects.”

The Ombudsman recommended bail bonds of P30,000 for each charge of graft and P40,000 for each charge of malversation for the provisional liberty of all the accused. —Patricia Denise M. Chiu