Santiago wants 2 ex-Nabcor execs to testify in pork probe

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago wants the two former officials of the National Agri-Businesss Corporation  (Nabcor) summoned into the Senate  blue ribbon committee’s investigation on the “pork barrel” scam.

The two  are Rhodora Mendoza and Victor Roman Cacal, who had reportedly executed affidavits  pertaining to  the P1.7 billion  “pork barrel funds” that had been allegedly  funnelled by four senators  and  79 representatives to questionable non-government organizations through Nabcor.

“Mendoza and Cacal should appear before the blue ribbon committee’s ongoing hearing on the pork barrel scam, to testify and submit documents on the criminal involvement of the lawmakers implicated in the scam,” Santiago said in filing Senate Resolution 575, directing the committee to immediately summon Mendoza and Cacal.

“They can also testify on how the loopholes in the disbursement of government funds are exploited in order for public officials to plunder public funds,” the senator  further said in the resolution.

Santiago filed another resolution, also directing the committee to include in its ongoing  investigation  on the pork scam  “the expenses involving public funds with the  detention of Janet Lim-Napoles.”

Napoles, who  has been detained at the  Fort Sto. Domingo in   Sta. Rosa, Laguna,  is the alleged mastermind of the P10 billion pork barrel scam.

Santiago had earlier  noted that the government was spending  P150,000  a month for Napoles compared to a measly  P1,612  being spent for a regular detainee.

She then  urged the government to  compel Napoles to choose either to stay in an ordinary jail at government expense or stay in an “enhanced facility” but at her own expense.