Cebu anticrime group gets money from Napoles, but ‘not much’

CEBU CITY—An anticrime nongovernment organization (NGO)  in Cebu has been receiving financial assistance from alleged pork barrel scam queen Janet Lim-Napoles.

Thelma Chiong, head of the Crusade Against Violence (CAV) in the Visayas, said her group has been receiving small amounts from Napoles which were coursed through her sister, Cheryl Jimenea, who worked as consultant for Napoles and a supporter of CAV.

She said the amounts were small, though. The biggest donation she recalled that CAV got from Napoles was P10,000.

“There are times that when my sister sends us money. Janet would give a small amount to Cheryl to give to our NGO,” Chiong said.

She, however, could no longer recall how many times Napoles had given them money.

Chiong also maintained that the money did not come from the pork barrel of politicians. She said that if it was, they would have had a receipt indicating the amount of donation.

According to Chiong, they did not sign any papers or agreement between CAV and Napoles regarding the donations.

She said she believed that the money came from Napoles’ own pocket.

The money donated by Napoles was used to pay the rent of the CAV office and buy supplies, she said.

The CAV is an anticrime NGO registered in 1992 at the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Chiong said that her sister and Napoles first met when Jimenea was working as a staffer of pardoned plunder convict Joseph Estrada. She later worked for Estrada’s son, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. Napoles had hired Jimenea as a consultant.