Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles attends the Senate Blue Ribbon commitee hearing. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
July 12. The Inquirer publishes the first part of its five-part special report about allegations that businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles channeled some P10 billion in government funds into ghost projects over the past 10 years.
The funds were allegedly sourced from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of 28 lawmakers and the Malampaya Fund. The PDAF, or pork barrel, finances pet projects of senators and members of the House of Representatives.
Napoles, CEO of JLN Corp., allegedly created some 20 bogus nongovernment organizations (NGOs) to receive the state funds, according to affidavits of her former employees.
Aug. 16. The Commission on Audit announces that a special audit showed that funds totaling P6.2 billion sourced from PDAF allocations from 2007 to 2009 of 12 senators and 180 congressmen were transferred to 82 bogus NGOs “in clear violation of the law.” Ten of these NGOs with links to Napoles allegedly received over P2 billion in PDAF during the period.
Aug. 23. In anticipation of a massive protest rally against pork barrel, President Aquino announces in a surprise press conference that it was “time to abolish the PDAF.”
Aug. 26. Around 100,000 protesters gather at Manila’s Rizal Park to call for the abolition of the pork barrel and the prosecution of those involved in the racket. Called the Million People March, it is the largest protest since President Aquino was elected in 2010.
Aug. 28. Napoles surrenders to President Aquino in Malacañang after disappearing for two weeks following the issuance by a court of a warrant for her arrest for serious illegal detention of her aide, Benhur Luy, purportedly for threatening to reveal her alleged illicit activities. Mr. Aquino accompanies Napoles, who says she fears for her life, to Camp Crame later in the middle of the night.
Sept 10. Prompted by a growing public outrage, the Supreme Court stops the release of the remaining PDAF allocations in response to three petitions calling for the scrapping of the pork barrel system.
Sept. 16. Charges of plunder, malversation, bribery, graft and corrupt practices are filed in the Office of the Ombudsman against Napoles, Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada and 34 other people.
Nov. 7. Napoles appears before the Senate blue ribbon committee, but refuses to answer questions, invoking her right against self-incrimination.
Nov. 19. The Supreme Court, voting 14-0, declares unconstitutional past and present congressional pork barrel laws and orders the criminal prosecution of lawmakers and individuals who personally benefited from the system.—Compiled by Inquirer Research
Source: Inquirer Archives