Napoles began template for racket at DOTC in ’05

Detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles created the template of the P10-billion  pork barrel scam a decade ago in a deal with the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Benhur Luy, a former employee turned whistle-blower, told the Inquirer.

Jo-Chris Trading, a Napoles company named after her eldest daughter, had made ghost deliveries in multimillion-peso computer supply contracts bankrolled by the congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and facilitated through the DOTC, Luy said in an interview.

Luy, the principal accuser in the P10-billion racket, said that Napoles had made several computer supply deals with the DOTC using the PDAF of lawmakers close to her between 2003 and 2005 through the DOTC, then headed by Secretary Leandro Mendoza, and implemented by her fake nongovernment organizations (NGOs).

Forged signatures were used in documents to carry out the ghost deliveries, Luy said.

But just like her dubious P3.8-million contract of 500 Kevlar helmets in 1999 and her part in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam in 2004, where Jo-Chris Trading got close to P60 million of the liquid fertilizer supply deals, Luy said Napoles apparently got away scot-free from any liability in the DOTC computer scam.

He said Napoles even got bolder in taking on bigger contracts with more implementing agencies and with more lawmakers and local government officials no matter who was sitting in Malacañang.

Luy’s claim was confirmed in a 2005 Commission on Audit (COA) report on the DOTC. The COA uncovered a P40.234-million computer supply scam of which Jo-Chris accounted for more than half of the deals.

Interestingly, Napoles’ associate, Rene Maglanque, was assistant transportation secretary during that period. Maglanque figured in the current pork barrel controversy after he was criticized for putting up banners welcoming Napoles during his oath-taking last June 30 as the newly elected mayor of Candaba, Pampanga province. The Napoleses did not attend the oath-taking.

Maglanque was also a golfing buddy of former Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman who allegedly played a central role in the plunder of P900-million Malampaya Fund that went to 12 fake Napoles NGOs. Maglanque was an eyewitness in Pangandaman’s defense regarding a mauling incident in Valley Golf and Country Club in 2009.

Forged signatures

In its report, the COA said supposed beneficiaries of supply contracts of Jo-Chris Trading—P19.572 million for the purchase of 114 units of various information technology equipment and P5 million for one lot of ACU 1000 modules—denied having received any of these units as claimed by the DOTC management.

The other traders involved in the DOTC deals were Super Car Center (P7.56 million for 21 Mitsubishi Delica vans), Mancom Computer Systems (P3.681 million), Highlander Philippines Inc. (P2.998 million) and Techpoint Computers Corp. (P1.421 million).

The COA report did not identify the representatives or senators whose pork barrels were used by Napoles.

“There were falsifications of signatures of recipients, including local government officials. The persons named in the (receipts) denied the signatures in the (receipts) attached to the disbursement vouchers. There were misrepresentations made to the DOTC inspectorate team who witnessed the delivery and turnover of some of the equipment,” the COA said.

Asec’s golfing buddy

Due to this deception, the COA suggested that the DOTC conduct the inspection at sites “where the supplier will not have access anymore after the inspection by the DOTC and in the presence of representatives of congressmen and senators.” The COA also suggested that the DOTC be present during the deliveries to the beneficiaries who should present identification papers.

The COA had recommended that the transportation secretary investigate the ghost deliveries and file appropriate charges against those liable for the forged signatures.