Napoles donations not from pork barrel
THE Crusade Against Violence (CAV) in the Visayas received some donations from controversial businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles but this didn’t come from the pork barrel funds of legislators.
CAV chairperson Thelma Chiong admitted this, saying the donations came from Napoles’ pockets. She said if these came from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of legislators, she would have had received receipts.
The donations were coursed through Chiong’s sister, Cheryl Jimenea, a close friend of Napoles who acted as her consultant.
“It wasn’t regular. She sometimes gave us P5 thousand or P10 thousand. She donates this month, the next two months, no donation, she just extends help.” Chiong said. The money was used to buy office supplies and pay the rent of their office, Chiong said.
Crusade Against Violence is an anti-crime non-government organization (NGO) registered in 1992.
Chiong processed the group’s Securities and Exchange Commission registration in Cebu this year.
Chiong said that Napoles and her sister first met when Cheryl was still working for former president Joseph Estrada.
Jimenea later worked for Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and resigned earlier this year. Chiong denied that her sister worked as a director of Napoles’ JLN Corp.
Chiong added that her sister feels depressed after being linked to the pork barrel scam controversy.
No Fuente rally
In a related development, there won’t be any anti-pork barrel rally held at Fuente Osmeña to avoid traffic congestion.
Rafael Yap, operations chief of the Cebu City Integrated Traffic Operations Management (Citom), said the bigger Plaza Independencia will be used instead for the Sept. 11 rally.
Stella Palomo Monteño of the Scrap the Pork Barrel Movement wrote Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to ask for the use of Fuente Osmeña as a rally site.
Yap said Citom’s recommendation is a pre-requisite for the use of the plaza to be approved by the Parks and Playgrounds Commission. Correspondent Carine M. Asutilla and Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac
