Gov’t execs’ loot: P820M

By: Nancy C. Carvajal - 11 years ago

Fifth of a series

Former Budget Secretary and now Camarines Sur (1st district) Rep. Rolando Andaya: Biggest commission. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Cabinet secretaries in the Arroyo administration and officials of state-owned corporations—some of them

still holding the same positions to this day—received a total of P820 million in commissions in schemes to siphon congressional pork barrel funds to ghost projects engineered by Janet Lim-Napoles, computer records of her former finance officer show.

The commissions are recorded in the hard disk drive (HDD) by whistle-blower Benhur Luy set up at the behest of his former employer. They appear in two categories: disbursements and JLN cash and checks disbursements and Jo-Christine disbursements from 2003 to 2010.

Luy’s files were made available to the Inquirer by Luy’s parents and siblings, accompanied by lawyer Levito Baligod, who handed over on April 27, 2013, a copy of the HDD during a visit to its newsroom to ask for help in exposing Napoles’ alleged plunder of state funds.

These officials were supposed to implement projects funded by the congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) aimed at improving the plight of farmers and workers mainly in the rural areas.

Former Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya allegedly received at least P255 million as commission for various projects that were supposed to be implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) from 2006 to 2010, the Benhur accounting records show. The commission of Andaya, now a Camarines Sur representative, reached as high as 70 percent for one DAR project.

On July 16, 2007, an entry of for P28-million commission appeared with the note “Andaya—cash charge to RAD project.” RAD stands for the Department of Agrarian Reform spelled backwards.

Some of the commission Andaya received, the records show, were given to him through a Metrobank check.

The records also show that Zenaida Ducut of the Energy Regulatory Commission earned commissions through implementing agencies such as the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the Technology Resource Center (TRC), and the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Ducut allegedly earned at least P12.2 million from PDAF projects coursed by Napoles through these agencies. “Atty. Zenaida Ducut cash advance charge to commission of DOTC-CA project.” one entry read.

Teresita Panlilio, the current officer in charge of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council Secretariat and former DAR director of finance and management administration, purportedly received at least a total of P200 million in kickbacks.

“RAD c/o Tess Panlilio—cash rebate charge to RAD P15 million project,” one of the entries showed.

Nasser Pangandaman, DAR secretary from 2005-2009, received at least P94.1 million through a conduit, Rene Maglanque, according to Luy.

A “Rene Maglanque cash for Nasser Pangandaman” and “SEC c/o Rene Maglanque full payment of commission charge to RAD project” were how the supposed kickbacks were described in the records.

Lydia Malvar, according to the DOTC website, is assigned as its comptroller. Luy’s records show a total of P10.6 million under her name described as “DOTC/Malvar SOP.” Malvar is still comptroller today.

Antonio Ortiz, TRC director general from 2007 to 2009, received at least P7.3 million in commissions, according to various entries in Luy’s records.

Dennis Cunanan, the current TRC head who was Ortiz’s deputy from 2004 to 2010, received at least P1.32 million in commissions, including the P960,000 declared by Luy in the recent Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the pork barrel scam. The amount was indicated as entry “TRC c/o Dir Cunanan – SOP-charge to RBR 40 m 2nd batch PDAF 2008 project.”

“RBR” refers to Sen. Bong Revilla.

Allan Javellana, former president of National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor), received at least P15.23 million as commission, the records show. “Nabcor c/o Allan J – full payment of SOP” the entries showed.

Ophelia Agawin, DA assistant secretary, served as treasurer and director of state-owned ZNAC Rubber Estate Corp. (ZREC) from 2006 to 2010. The files show Agawin received at least P7.75 million in commission. “DA Ophelia Agawin – partial payment of the commission charge to CA project,” one of the entries shows.

Hector Sales, DA director in the Bicol region, supposedly received at least P1.39 million in commissions. “Dir. Hector Sales SOP,” an entry shows.

Domingo Reyes, a former DOTC assistant secretary earlier described by Luy as also Napoles’ connection in the department, allegedly received P1.67 million in commissions. “DOTC Assec Reyes 10 % SOP charge to TLRC project” the records show.

Jeffrey Galan, then DAR undersecretary for support services, allegedly got at least P62 million in commissions. One entry says “Jeff Galan full payment of rebate charge to DAR P50 M project 2005.”

Manuel “Boy” Jarmin, the current DA executive director for the Livestock Development Council, was also listed as a Napoles employee in the Luy files with at least P1.6 million in commissions. He is mentioned in an entry as “Manuel Jarmin – cash advance charge to RAD project.”

Rene Maglanque, a former DOTC assistant secretary and incumbent mayor of Candaba, Pampanga, allegedly received P207 million from Napoles.

Maglanque in the records of Luy also served as conduit of commissions for Pangandaman and Nieto for DAR projects.

Maglanque’s entries in Luy’s records are classified into three—”Usec Nieto c/o Rene Maglanque,” “Rene Maglanque full payment of commission charge to RAD project” and “SEC c/o Rene Maglanque – full payment of comm charge to RAD project.”

Narciso Nieto, then DAR undersecretary for operations during Pangandaman’s term, allegedly received P14.5 million in commissions, based on Luy’s records. “P1 million – RAD Nieto cash” one entry read.

Belinda Gonzales, former DA undersecretary for administration and finance who was implicated in an earlier fertilizer scam, received P2.6 million in commissions.

Evangeline Poloyapoy, accountant at the DA regional field unit in Bicol, likewise received P150,000, the records showed. “DA RFU c/o Vangeline Poloyapoy – 1% SOP for accounting and finance BCARE project,” an entry read.