Raps filed vs 6 ex-solons over ‘pork’ scam; Napoles faces fresh charges

By: Marc Jayson Cayabyab - 10 years ago

Office of the Ombudsman. PHOTO from www.ombudsman.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines—The Office of the Ombudsman has formally filed criminal complaints against six former lawmakers and accused Janet Lim-Napoles in another case of the pork barrel scam.

Facing malversation and graft charges are former representatives Alvin Sandoval (Navotas-Malabon), Marina Clarete (1st district, Misamis Occidental), Reno Lim (3rd district, Nueva Ecija), Teodulo Coquilla (Easter Samar lone district) and Anthony Miranda (Isabela).

This after Ombudsman investigators finished its fact-finding investigation that was ordered by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales at the height of Napoles’ pork barrel scam.

The lawmakers were accused of using the following Napoles-linked foundations to spend their Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) to ghost projects for kickbacks: Pangkabuhayan Foundation; Dr. Rodolfo Ignacio, Sr. Foundation, Inc.; Jacinto Castel Borja Foundation, Inc.; Kabuhayan at Kalusugan Alay sa Masa Foundation (KKAMFI); Kasangga sa Magandang Bukas Foundation, Inc. (KMBFI); Aaron Foundation Philippines, Inc. (AFPI); Kaagapay Magpakailanman Foundation, Inc. (KMFI); Buhay Mo Mahal Ko Foundation, Inc. (BMMKFI); Gabaymasa Development Foundation; and Aksyon Makamasa Foundation, Inc. (AMFI).

Meanwhile, the accused allegedly used the following implementing agencies to course through their pork barrel funds to the dubious foundations – Technology Resource Center (TRC), National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC), and National Agribusiness Corporation (Nabcor).

Also facing the complaint are Napoles and then Agriculture Secretary and now Bohol Representative Arthur Yap.

According to the complaint, the solons misused the following amounts of their PDAF:

Sandoval – P30 million

Clarete – P65 million

Miranda – P20 million

Coquilla – P5 million

Antonino – P15 million

Lim – P30 million

Also charged were officials of the implementing agencies such as TRC’s Antonio Ortiz and Dennis Cunanan, Nabcor’s Allan Javellana, and representatives of the Napoles-linked foundations.

So far, the Ombudsman had found probable cause to charge the following with plunder and malversation — Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon Revilla Jr., and former Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) Representative Edgar Valdez, former Masbate Representative Rizalina Seachon-Lañete, Benguet Representative Samuel Dangwa, Agusan Del Sur Representative Rodolfo Plaza and Cagayan De Oro Representative Constantino Jaraula.

As of now, only Estrada, Enrile and Revilla are detained as they face charges that they pocketed millions of pesos from their PDAF allocation

Accused mastermind Napoles is detained at the Camp Bagong Diwa female ward as she faces multiple charges of plunder and graft.