Ombudsman set to file second batch of pork scam cases

By: Marc Jayson Cayabyab - 10 years ago

Office of the Ombudsman. NOY MORCOSO/INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines–The Office of the Ombudsman is set to file in the Sandiganbayan the corruption charges against five former congressmen and accused mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles over the pork barrel scam after denying their motions for reconsideration.

“We have denied the motions for reconsideration filed by the respondents… The respective informations shall be filed anytime soon… We will file the case either this week or next week,” Assistant Ombudsman Asryman Rafanan said in a press conference on Monday.

The Ombudsman has denied the appeal of the following officials: former Masbate Representative Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, APEC party-list Representative Edgar Valdez, Agusan del Sur Representative Rodolfo Plaza, Benguet Representative Samuel Dangwa, and Cagayan de Oro City Representative Constantino Jaraula.

Lanete, incumbent Masbate governor, and Valdez will face plunder raps for allegedly pocketing P112.29 million and P95 million in kickbacks, respectively, from their Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF).

Meanwhile, the others face malversation, direct bribery, and other graft and corrupt practices for allegedly pocketing the following kickbacks: Plaza (P42.1 million), Dangwa (P26.7 million), and Jaraula (P20.8 million).

They are among the second batch of respondents in the pork barrel scam purportedly masterminded by Napoles, who is accused this time of diverting more than P244 million in PDAF allocations of her coaccused to her fake foundations from 2007 to 2009.

The solons were accused of spending their PDAF to ghost agricultural and livelihood projects for kickbacks using the foundations linked to Napoles.

Napoles is under trial for plunder in the Sandiganbayan for the first pork barrel scam case involving Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, and Juan Ponce Enrile.

Also indicted in the second pork barrel scam case are Napoles’ employee John Raymund de Asis; Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos and his staff Rosario Nuñez, Lalaine Paule and Marilou Bare;

Technology Resource Center (TRC) director general Antonio Ortiz; deputy director general Dennis Cunanan; department manager Francisco Figura and chief accountant Marivic Jover;

National Agri-Business Corp. (Nabcor) president Alan Javellana, paralegal Victor Roman Cacal, General Services Unit head Romulo Relevo, bookkeeper Maria Ninez Guañizo, chief accountant Ma. Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, and director for financial management Services Rhodora Mendoza;

National Livelihood Development Corp. (NLDC) president Gondelina Amata, division chief Gregoria Buenaventura, director Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal, chief financial specialist Sofia Cruz and department manager Chita Jalandoni;

Representatives of NGOs linked with Napoles, namely, Countrywide Agri and Rural Economic and Development Foundation (CARED), Masaganang Ani para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (MAMFI), Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc. (PSDFI) and the Social Development Program for Farmer Foundation, Inc. (SDPFFI).