Revilla tops list of lawmakers

Janet Lim-Napoles and Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Senator Bong Revilla was on top of the list of lawmakers identified in affidavits executed by whistle-blowers who allegedly allowed nongovernment organizations (NGOs) linked to Janet Lim-Napoles to use their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) entitlements for ghost projects worth P10 billion.

According to the documents, Revilla gave the NGOs access to his pork barrel funds in 22 instances.

Reacting to the report, Revilla said it was a “demolition job” by Malacañang and that it was part of efforts to discredit “nonallied” potential candidates for President in 2016.

“They are trying to destroy my name just because there are people who are asking me to run [for President] in 2016,” the senator said.

In its special audit report released on Aug. 16, the Commission on Audit (COA) found that funds totaling P6.2 billion were transferred to 82 NGOs from 2007 to 2009. Ten of these NGOs were linked to Napoles. Of these 10, six were among the top 19 NGOs that received the bulk of the funds.

The report found that P413.29 million of the P6.2 billion was sourced from Revilla’s PDAF.

According to the report, the breakdown of the P413.29 million released by Revilla to Napoles-linked NGOs was as follows: P97 million to Social Development Program for Farmers Foundations Inc., P31.5 million to Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc., P106.45 million to Agri & Economic Program for Farmers Foundation, P58.2 million to Agrikultura Para sa Magbubukid Foundation, and P120.14 million to Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc.

The most kickbacks

Apart from identifying Revilla, the affidavits also tagged Revilla’s chief of staff, Richard Cambe, as among the senior congressional staff members who served as “conduits” for channeling funds from the lawmakers to Napoles.

At the opening of the Senate inquiry into the scam on Aug. 29, COA Chair Grace Pulido-Tan said Revilla, along with Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Gregorio Honasan II, allocated a total of P1.093 billion of their pork barrel to bogus NGOs affiliated with Napoles from 2007 to 2009.

All four senators have inhibited themselves from the Senate inquiry but have denied any involvement in the scam.

Revilla has been accused of plunder and 16 counts of graft after allegedly amassing P224.5 million in kickbacks from Napoles, the biggest among the three senators.

Source: Inquirer Archives

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