Estrada confronts COA chief at Senate budget hearing

Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada confronted and asked Commission on Audit (COA) chair Grace Pulido-Tan on Wednesday why they were being blamed for the transfer of their “pork barrel” funds to bogus non-government organizations (NGOs).

It was  the  COA   which   came out  with  findings  that  some  legislators,  including   Estrada, had allegedly  funnelled their   priority development assistance fund  (PDAF) known as “pork barrel” to  fake NGOs  identified with   Janet Lim-Napoles.

During the budget  hearing of the Senate  committee  on finance,  Estrada particularly asked   COA  why  the legislators  were  being  blamed for  the  release  funds to alleged bogus NGOs when  he said the  implementing  agencies are the  ones  in-charge in the implementation of the projects.

“Anong kinalaman ng legislator dun? Di ba ang implementing agency ang nag i-implement?  Pag nandoon na ang pera sa kanila, ano ang pakiaalam ng legislator dun?” asked the senator.

“Assuming we endorsed, we repeatedly endorsed this particular NGO,  unang -una, kasi ang  perception ng taumbayan ang mga senador ang humahawak ng pera…”

“Sa amin ba dumadaan ang pera?  Yes or no?”  the senator  asked, pointing out that their job was only to identify  projects.

Tan  answered no to the question  but  explained that  the actual handling of  funds  was  different from  managing it.

Quoting the implementing  agencies though,  the COA chief  said the  legislators also managed  the  funds.

Tan’s  statements irked  the senator.

“How can we manage the funds na hindi naman dumadaan sa amin ang pera…?” Estrada said, pointing out that the funds go through the Department of Budget and Management and then to the implementing agencies.

Estrada said they just happened to endorse their funds to an NGO, which  turned out to be fake.

“Hindi naman namin alam na bogus…” he said.

Estrada then asked why the COA had not called the attention or stopped the lawmakers  who had repeatedly endorsed  their  pork barrel funds bogus  NGOs.

“Bakit kami ngayon ang sisihin?” he lamented.

Tan said she was still trying to find out why the Commission was not able to stop the  transfer of funds  to the said  bogus NGOs.