3rd pork scam charges underway after NBI amends complaint

THE filing of the third batch of pork barrel scam cases is underway as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) finished amending its complaint against an incumbent senator and administration and opposition lawmakers who were tagged in the alleged scheme.

In an interview at the Sandiganbayan on Monday, Justice Undersecretary Jose Justiniano said the NBI has completed amending its letter-complaint to be filed with the Office of the Ombudsman.

This will be submitted to Justice Secretary Leila De Lima within the week.

Justiniano is a member of the prosecuting panel on the plunder cases involving three senators and two former solons.

He the letter-complaint was amended following allegations by the accused that their signatures in the transactions were forged.

But Justiniano said the complaint was not amended to remove names from the original list of lawmakers to be charged with malversation.

“In-address naming ang mga isyu na sinasabing mga fake yung signatures. Mukhang ganun ang trend eh. Kung alam na kakasuhan namin, magpapa-examine ng mga signatures tapos sasabihing fake. Kahit sabihin na fake yung mga signatures mo, may kaso ka pa rin,” Justiniano said.

Justiniano confirmed that among the respondents are an incumbent senator and allies of President Benigno Aquino III.

Among those believed to face malversation and graft charges over the scam are Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan III from the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), and Cabinet member and Aquino ally Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (Tesda) Secretary Joel Villanueva.

Villanueva was appointed Tesda Director General with a Cabinet rank by President Aquino. He served as Citizens Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) Representative from the 12th to 14th Congress.

Justiniano maintained that the NBI and the Department of Justice as complainants do not distinguish between administration and opposition personalities.

“Wala naman kaming tinitingnan na partido. Kung may ebidensya, kakasuhan namin..  Sigurado akong may administration, may mga kaalyado talaga diyan… Uulitin ko, wala kaming pinipili dito,” Justiniano said.

Villanueva, Honasan, former La Union Representatives Manuel and Victor Ortega and former Abono Representatives Conrad Estrella III and Robert Raymund Estrella, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing are said to be included in the third batch of cases for malversation of funds.

The accused pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles is serving life sentence after losing the serious illegal detention case filed against her by Benhur Luy, formerly her trusted finance officer who blew the lid off the alleged scheme of pilfering lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) to ghost projects for kickbacks.

Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon Revilla Jr., as well as former Representatives Rizalina Seachon Lanete and Edgar Valdez have been charged with plunder and detained to face hearings. AC