Santiago suspects ‘high level conspiracy’ in Nabcor ‘pork’
Video by NOY MORCOSO lll/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago suspects a “high level of conspiracy” in the alleged anomalous transfer of “pork barrel” funds coursed through the National Agri-Business Corporation (Nabcor).
This was the reason why Santiago said she wanted the Senate blue ribbon committee to summon the two former Nabcor officials–Rhodora Mendoza and Victor Roman Cacal–into its ongoing investigation on the P10 billion pork barrel scam.
Mendoza and Cacal reportedly executed affidavits, stating that four senators and 79 representatives had funneled P1.7 billion “pork barrel” funds to questionable organizations linked to detained Janet Lim-Napoles coursed through Nabcor.
“I want to know what is higher level officials of the DA were doing, if it’s correct that this is a high level of conspiracy,” Santiago told reporters on Friday.
“There has to be a high conspiracy here because you see the result, which is plunder.”
“But we want to know what exactly was the modus operandi. That is always the subject of the senatorial investigation. We want to know what was the procedure used so that we can plug the loopholes of that procedure,” she added.
If the conspiracy came from very top, then Santiago said “extreme measures” should be done to address the problem.
“Because you know subordinates cannot normally, will not have the courage to fight against a movement or a project that has begun from the very boss of the office,” she pointed out.
Santiago also expressed hope that the Office of the Ombudsman could file charges against those involved in the scam, saying the public “are getting jaded” as more revelations continue to come out from the Senate probe.
“For me the point is, since it has been six months, I think it will be best if the Ombudsman could at least file some of the cases in court now because the public are getting jaded with these public revelations in the Senate probe plus they are not seeing any action,” she said.
“So we don’t want public interest to die on this matter because it’s just too important, plunder is just too important to the national economy,” the senator added.
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