Sandigan bars ex-solon linked to pork barrel scam from leaving PH

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Sandiganbayan Third Division has issued a hold departure order against former Benguet Representative Samuel Dangwa as he faces malversation raps in the pork barrel scam.

“Considering that these cases were duly raffled to this Division and that the motions for reconsideration had already been resolved by the Office of the Ombudsman, let a Hold Departure Order be issued in these cases against all the accused,” the antigraft court Third Division said in the order issued Friday to the Bureau of Immigration.

Dangwa faces malversation, direct bribery and graft for the misuse of P42.1 million of his Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) in the scam allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim-Napoles.

The others also ordered barred from  leaving the country are the former solon’s co-accused Napoles, who is also charged for malversation; Napoles’ employee John Raymund de Asis; Dangwa’s chiefs of staff  Erwin Dangwa and Carlos Lozada; Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos and his staff  Rosario Nuñez, Lalaine Paule, Marilou Bare; former directors-general of the Technology Resource Center (TRC) Antonio Ortiz and Dennis Cunanan; Allan Javellana, former president of National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor); Gondelina Amata, president of the National Livelihood Development Corp. (NLDC);

TRC employees Marivic Jover,, Consuelo Lilian Espiritu, and Ma. Rosalinda Lacsamana; NLDC employees Emmanuel Sevidal, Sofia Cruz, Chita Jalandoni, Gregoria Buenaventura, and Ofelia Ordoñez; Nabcor employees Rhodora Mendoza, Victor Cacal, Maria Niñez Guanizo, Maria Julie Villarolvo-Johnson, and Romulo Relevo; and other individuals Mylene Encarnacion, Eulogio Rodriguez, Evelyn de Leon, Filipina Rodriguez, Nitz Cabilao, John Bernardo and Belina Concepcion..

Dangwa is part of the second batch of PDAF-scam tainted lawmakers facing charges for purportedly pillaging public funds. Former Masbate Rep. Rizalina Seachon-Lañete and APEC party-list Rep. Edgar Valdez faces plunder for allegedly raking in P108.405 milion and P57.787 million in kickbacks, respectively. Meanwhile, facing malversation raps are former Agusan Del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza and Cagayan De Oro Rep. Constantino Jaraula.

The antigraft court is also hearing the plunder cases of detained senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile.