Janet Lim-Napoles. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Janet Lim-Napoles had more than P500 million in a savings and loan cooperative of members of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) deposits under her name, her husband, children and employees allegedly running dummy nongovernment organizations (NGO) siphoning state funds through ghost projects.
Lawyer Levi Baligod said whistle-blower Benhur Luy had the complete records of funds Napoles had amassed from profits of her bogus NGOs that were pumped into Air Materiel Wing Savings and Loan Association Inc. (AMWSLAI) through the help of the thrift association’s president and chair, Ricardo L. Nolasco Jr.
“There are questions on whether Napoles and the persons she used were eligible and whether these investments were in keeping with AMWSLAI’s limits on deposits,” Baligod said in an interview.
The Inquirer called Nolasco’s office, his personal staff and compliance officer Ronald Dominguez for comment on this report but he had not replied as of press time.
Baligod said Napoles wanted to maximize the bonanza from her fake NGOs by placing the money in a safe but high-yielding deposit account. “AMWSLAI gives up to 13-percent interest earnings, tax free,” the lawyer said.
He said that Nolasco apparently accommodated Napoles despite the fact that AMWSLAI had a P3-million limit on its deposits per individual to prevent an abuse of the funds.
Based on documents furnished by Luy, who was entrusted by Napoles to record and balance her business books, Napoles funneled a total of P510 million in deposits to AMWSLAI from Oct. 9, 2009, to April 2011.
These are:
— P55 million deposited in April 2009 in the accounts of Napoles and her children James and Jo-Christine (P10 million each); and Gertrudes Luy (P25 million).
— P100 million or P25 million each in the accounts of Jaime Napoles (Janet’s husband), William Lim, Luy and Vanessa Ajos Eman (a president of one of the Napoles’ NGOs) deposited in October 2009.
— P4 million under Edwin Tan in February 2010.
— P205 million deposited in June 2010 under Liza Ho Maclang (P5 million) and Winnie Villanueva and John Raymund de Asis (P100 million each).
— P29 million under Rosita Kawson Co (P25 million) and Bonifacio Lao Maclang (P4 million) in July 2010.
— P30 million in December 2010 under Karen Panlilio Pantoja.
— P25 million in January 2011 under Napoles.
— P62 million under Gertrudes Luy (P25 million), Janet (P5 million) and her children James and Jo-Christine (P16 million each) in April 2011.
Luy’s records included the account and certificate numbers of each placement, terms of placement (between two and three years), and interest per annum (10 and 13 percent).
It could not be determined whether the funds were rolled over.
Napoles, head of JLN Corp., has accused Luy of stealing P300,000 from her company and taking out two loans amounting to P5 million from AMWSLAI on her behalf without her authorization.
Special probe panel
Also on Monday, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said in a statement that she had ordered the creation of a special panel to look into the misuse by seven NGOS allegedly controlled by Napoles of P200 million in funds under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in 2007 and 2008.
Morales has also given the five-member panel the leeway to conduct a preliminary investigation and administrative adjudication of all other cases that may arise from or involve the utilization of the PDAF. She said a case buildup by her field investigation office had started even before Luy blew the whistle on the pork barrel scam.
The panel will look into graft and falsification charges filed against former Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, Undersecretary Narciso Nieto, Director Teresita Panlilio, chief accountant Angelita Cacananta, budget officer Ronald Venancio, cashier Nilda Baui, three notaries public, three certified public accountants and 24 private individuals behind the seven NGOs led by Luy and his fellow whistle-blower Merlina Suñas.
The Ombudsman said Pangandaman, Nieto, Panlilio, Venancio and Baui have also been slapped with administrative charges for grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, gross neglect of duty and serious dishonesty.
NGOs investigated
The seven NGOs implicated in the CARP fund scam were Luy’s Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation Inc.;, People’s Organization for Progress and Development Foundation Inc. led by Suñas; Philippine Agri and Social Economic Development Foundation Inc. led by May-Ann Kilapkilap as president; Agri and Economic Program for Farmers Foundation Inc. led by Nemesio Pablo; Agricultura para sa Magbubukid Foundation Inc. led by Jocelyn O. Piorato; Masaganang Ani para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. led by Marina Sula; and Countrywide Agri and Rural Economic Development Foundation Inc. led by Simonette Briones.
The 245-page complaint said Pangandaman and his coaccused granted funds for projects classified as “agri-business development,” “micro-livelihood project” or “agricultural production” to the seven NGOs in violation of the Commission on Audit circular on the release of funds to NGOs and people’s organizations.
The complaint alleged that while the NGOs said they made deliveries to projects in several municipalities in Cagayan, Pangasinan, Cavite, Dinagat Island, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur, the listed beneficiaries denied getting anything from them.
The CARP fund scam is seen as a precursor of the P900-million Malampaya fund scam that whistle-blower Suñas claimed was concocted by Napoles, Pangandaman and Nieto in 2009 using fake NGOs that made ghost deliveries.
Originally posted: 7:52 pm | Monday, August 5th, 2013