Witness says 2 key Napoles aides can give more evidence

Amid concerns that Janet Lim-Napoles could clam up when she appears before the Senate blue ribbon committee, whistle-blowers say two of her key aides could very well provide corroborative evidence in her alleged P10-billion racket that converted pork barrel funds into massive kickbacks for lawmakers.

They are Evelyn de Leon, president of the Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc. (PSDFI), and Ronald John Lim, a nephew of the detained businesswoman, according to Marina Sula, a former Napoles employee who has provided evidence of the scam to the National Bureau of Investigation.

“John did not only deliver money to the lawmakers and their chiefs of staff, but also met with them when Madame Jenny was out of the country,” Sula told the Inquirer in an interview. “Evelyn was tasked to iron out complications, like documents with lawmakers, chiefs of staff and implementing agencies.”

Sula is among about a dozen former employees of the 49-year-old Napoles who had turned against the businesswoman. This followed accusations that Napoles held captive her principal aide, Benhur Luy, for three months to prevent him from divulging her alleged racket involving the congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Napoles is being held in a police antiterrorist training camp in Sta. Rosa, Laguna province, on a charge of serious illegal detention in connection with the Luy case. She is among 38 people, including Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla, named in the plunder case filed in the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the pork barrel scam.

The businesswoman has been subpoenaed to appear in the Senate on Nov. 7. Napoles’ lawyer, Lorna Kapunan, has said her client reserves her right against self-incrimination during her questioning.

If Napoles refuses to talk, Sula said De Leon and Lim could shed light on the racket and suggested that the Senate could subpoena them.

De Leon was one of the coaccused of Napoles in the alleged rigging of the tender for P3.8 million worth of Kevlar helmets in 1998. The charges against Napoles were dropped for lack of probable cause in 2010.

But De Leon had become loyal to Napoles since then, Sula said. “She feels indebted to madame because she never went to jail despite being convicted in the Kevlar case.”

The PSDFI was one of about 20 nongovernment organizations (NGOs) used by Napoles in channeling PDAF allocations into ghost projects. The group includes the Ginintuang Alay sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. This was formed in 2004 and was headed by Lim.

Sula said that whenever Napoles was away on an overseas trip, Lim took over her business affairs.

“It’s John Lim who took the money to lawmakers on behalf of his aunt,” she said. “Janet also trusted John with money matters and John knew the transactions because, like Benhur, he is also a relative, a close relative because he is a son of her brother.”

The whistle-blowers have attempted to persuade De Leon to testify against Napoles.

“De Leon declined to join us because she already had tested and proved the connection and influence of Madame Janet. She said she did not go to jail although she was convicted in the Kevlar case,” Sula said.

“De Leon, like Benhur and John, was also the left hand and right hand of Madame Janet. She also knew a lot of transactions and remains loyal until now,” Sula added.

“Apart from Benhur, Evelyn also kept records of financial transactions and was considered a senior employee,” Sula said, citing De Leon’s long association with Napoles.

De Leon was already with Napoles when she started cutting a deal with the Philippine Marines in 1998 for the purchase of 500 Kevlar helmets worth P3.8 million, Luy said.

He said De Leon and Napoles became friends in 1997 while they were both members of a Christian organization in Laguna called the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Luy also said that in the high-profile P728-million fertilizer scam controversy in 2006, De Leon’s foundation was a recipient of P31 million worth of projects.

The PSDFI was established in Taguig City in 1990 and became the first dummy NGO of Napoles after they became friends.