NGOs that received PDAF funds not bogus—NCMF chief Sadain

Secretary Mehol Sadain of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos. Photo from www.ncmf.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines – The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) on Tuesday insisted that the non-government organizations (NGO) it dealt with were not “bogus.”

“Hindi yata masasabi na peke yan (You can’t probably say that they are fake)…These NGOs have the proper documentation,” Secretary Mehol Sadain of the NCMF told Radyo INQUIRER 990AM.

Sadain explained they thoroughly screened the NGOs before accrediting them. However, he admitted they were endorsed by lawmakers.

The NCMF is the first agency under the Office of the President linked with the pork barrel scam. The Commission on Audit (COA), in its latest audit report, revealed that it became a conduit for the Priority Development Assistance Fund of several senators and congressmen.

Among the NGOs the agency dealt with were allegedly “bogus” or linked to the pork barrel scam.

But Sadain said all the organizations they accredited had complete documents.

He admitted, however, that the NGOs did not undergo a bidding process, in accordance to COA rules.

“Alam naman natin ang politician, ang lawmaker sya ang nageendorse ng NGO. Tinatanggap lang yan ng agency. In our case, ang ginawa namin in-accredit namin by asking them to submit at least 15 documents just to prove their existence, to prove their capability to do the project, to prove eligibility,” he explained.

(We know that politicians, lawmakers are the ones who endorse the NGO. The agency just accepts their endorsement. In our case, we accredited them by asking them to submit at least 15 documents just to prove their existence, to prove their capability to do the project, to prove eligibility.)

Sadain pointed out that the audit report was not final and they are still in the process of asking the NGOs to complete their documents.

He said the NCMF closely monitors the PDAF-funded projects, which benefit Muslim communities all over the country.

The former Commission on Elections commissioner said that while the NCMF received a three percent administration fee, their expenses can be accounted for.

“Three percent lang po iyon and we can account for that. Nandyan po out of P16 million na nakuha naming, we spent around P4 million lang…Nandyan po iyan,” he said.

(That’s just three percent and we can account for that. Out of the P16 million we received, we spent only around P4 million…The fund is still there.)

Sadain assured the public that the agency is cooperating with the National Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice and the Office of the Secretary to clarify the issue and answer the accusations.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma on Tuesday confirmed that the audit observation memo will still undergo a process of verification. He echoed President Benigno Aquino III’s statement ordering Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras and Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad to look into the matter.

Aquino on Monday admitted that he was not aware that the NCMF has been receiving PDAF. Sadain, who was appointed in April 2012, said the agency was included in the PDAF “menu” for lawmakers in 2011.

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