Cunanan says 3 senators in pork scam ‘hand-picked’ NGO-recipients

Former head of the Technology Resource Center Dennis Cunanan. PHOTO FROM www.dost.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines—Dennis Cunanan, who is scheduled to appear before the Senate blue ribbon committee on Thursday, insisted in his affidavit that two of the three senators involved in the P10 billion “pork-barrel” scam “hand-picked” the non-government organizations linked to detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles as recipients of their “pork barrel” funds.

Cunanan, director general-on-leave of the Technology Resource Center (TRC), said he has letters to prove that Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. endorsed certain non-government organizations (NGOs) linked to Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the scam.

In a letter to TRC dated April 10, 2007, which refers to the release of P25 million PDAF to TRC, Cunanan said Revilla “expressly and categorically endorsed” the Napoles-linked NGO named Agri and Economic Program for Farmers Foundation (AEPFFFI) to implement his PDAF-funded projects.

He then quoted the letter saying: “In as much as I would like to personally help and intercede in the implementation of this worthwhile undertaking to provide livelihood projects of our constituents in Surigao del Norte, may I endorse the Agri and Economic Program for Farmers Foundation Inc. as partner and team up with the TLRC for this program.”

“I also would like to assign my staff, Atty. Richard Cambe to represent and act in my behalf to pursue this purpose and objective. I would surely appreciate if this could be implemented as soon as possible and allow the said foundation a crucial role for this mission and task,” the letter said.

Cunanan said Revilla again “expressly endorsed” another NGO, the Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc (PDSFI), in another letter dated November 27, 2007, in connection with the release of his P35 million PDAF.

On December 16, 2008, Cunanan said Revilla again wrote to TRC pertaining to the fund release of his PDAF amounting to P40 million where he also endorsed another Napoles-linked NGO named Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation Inc. (SDPFFI).

In the project summaries and proposals submitted by Revilla’s office, Cunanan said the three NGOs—AEPFFI, PSDFI, and SDPFFI—were also identified and embedded” as the “project implementor.”

Cunanan said the memorandum of agreements that Revilla’s office entered into with the TRC would also show that the senator’s office was the one that endorsed the Napoles NGOs.

Like Revilla, Cunanan said he has also letters to prove that Estrada “hand-picked” the NGOs that implemented his PDAF-funded projects.

“Unfortunately for Senator Estrada, the facts, documents and evidence on record clearly shows that contrary to his claim, it was he who unilaterally chose and hand-picked the NGOs which implemented his PDAF-funded projects and imposed and indicated said choice upon TRC,” he said.

“Even from the very first communication sent by Senator Estrada to the TRC for the implementation of his PDAF-funded projects, he actually already identified and specified the NGO which was supposed to implement his said PDAF-funded projects,” he added.

Cunanan then cited Estrada’s alleged letter to the TRC dated April 22, 2008, referring to the release of his PDAF amounting to P25 million where he “specifically and categorically requested that the said projects be implemented by the Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation Inc.

“May I respectfully request that the said projects be implemented by the Social Development for Farmers Foundation, Inc, a duly registered non-government organization as your conduit in the implementation of the said project in the three mentioned municipalities,” the letter said.

“Furthermore, authority is hereby given to Ms. Paulen Labayen to follow-up, supervise, sign and act in my behalf to ensure the proper and timely implementation of these projects,” it added.

A memorandum of agreement between the TRC AND SDPFFI, Cunanan said, also acknowledged that it was Estrada’s office that endorsed the NGO to implement his projects.

Cunanan also reiterated in his affidavit his earlier claim that he had personally talked over the phone with the two senators regarding their PDAF.

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