Court orders freeze on assets of 4 ex-solons in pork scam
The Court of Appeals. FILE PHOTO
The Court of Appeals has ordered a freeze on the bank accounts and assets of four former congressmen and six chiefs of staff or representatives of lawmakers, led by Jessica Lucila “Gigi” G. Reyes and Ruby Chan Tuason who allegedly acted as agents for Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, for their complicity in the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam believed to be masterminded by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.
The four members of the House of Representatives are Rodolfo G. Plaza of Agusan del Sur, Samuel M. Dangwa of Benguet, Constantino G. Jaraula of Cagayan de Oro, and Edgar de Leon Valdez of the Apec party-list group.
The six individuals were Reyes (who resigned as Enrile’s chief of staff early this year), Tuason (who represented both Enrile and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada), Richard Cambe (chief of staff of Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.), Pauline Therese Mary A. Labayen (a staff member of Estrada), Jose “Joy” R. Sumalpong (chief of staff of Masbate Gov. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete), and Erwin C. Dangwa (son and chief of staff of former Benguet Rep. Samuel M. Dangwa).
The Inquirer obtained a copy of the notice of resolution from the appellate court which was distributed to banks and financial institutions where the 10 were believed to have kept part of their assets.
In August, the Court of Appeals issued a six-month freeze order on 344 bank accounts, 66 insurance policies and five credit card accounts held by Napoles, her family and relatives, her employees at JLN Corp. and her dubious nongovernment organizations (NGOs).
Article continues after this advertisementThe banks that received the court order immediately sent out a memo to all their branches, directing them to submit all accounts of the 10 people (both live and dormant), including the outstanding balance, type of monetary instrument or property, and additional information related or materially linked accounts.
Article continues after this advertisementThe branch officers were also asked to report the historical movement of these accounts, specifically the source of funds and the recipients of the withdrawals and transfers.
Linked accounts are defined under Republic Act No. 9194, or the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001, as those belonging to the same person (whether singly or jointly); his or her “in trust for” (ITF) accounts and corporate accounts where he or she is a major stockholder.
Accounts of his or her immediate family or household members if the amount or value involved is not commensurate with the business or financial capacity of the said family or household member; and shares or units in any investment accounts and/or pooled funds.
The four former lawmakers and the six individuals were among the 38 people the National Bureau of Investigation charged with either plunder, malversation and direct bribery or graft in the Office of the Ombudsman in September in connection with the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
Among those charged were Enrile, Estrada, Revilla and Napoles.
The NBI and whistle-blowers, former employees of Napoles, said the lawmakers channeled their pork barrel, the Priority Development Assistance Fund, into dubious NGOs that Napoles had set up to facilitate kickbacks.
Principal whistle-blower Benhur Luy, a cousin of Napoles, testified at the Senate blue ribbon committee two months ago that lawmakers pocketed up to 50 percent of the supposed cost of a ghost project.
Napoles got 40 percent and government contacts, 10 percent, according to Luy.
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