Pork anomaly dubbed ‘Ridapoles’ exposed in Bulacan

Whistleblower Bernadette Ricalde said Rida, the wife of Representative Arthur Robes, directed her to look for a foundation where the lawmaker can allocate his pork barrel fund.

Ricalde, a former employee of the lawmaker, decided to resign because she could no longer take the said anomalous activity of her boss.

She said they were able to purchase the Sagip Buhay People Support Association, Inc. (SBPSAI) and turned it into a foundation called the Sagip-Buhay Foundation, Inc.

“Mrs. Robes directed me to look for a foundation which could be used by her husband for his pork barrel fund,” Ricalde said in an interview.

She said Remo Bana referred to her the SBPSAI which they could buy and amend its by-laws to convert and register it as a foundation.

After the SBPSAI was registered as a foundation at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ricalde said they were also able to accredit it at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“The foundation will be used by Cong. Robes to allocate his pork barrel fund for scholarship, medical assistance and burial assistance to his constituents in the City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan,” she said.

Ricalde said they were able to successfully implement the scheme in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.

So that Mrs. Robes can also control the foundation, Ricalde said she designated Lyn Miranda, staff of Cong. Robes, to work with their employees Demetrio Francisco, Thelma Melingrito and Nonita Ocenar.

She said Mrs. Robes also directed her to include Nora Subriaga, her laundry woman, in the foundation.

Representative Robes, she added, allocated his pork barrel fund to the foundation through the DSWD.

“Nang mairelease po ang pondo mula sa DSWD ito po ay ipinasok namin sa account ng Sagip, sa Land Bank, Katipunan Branch,” said Ricalde.

The monies were immediately withdrawn by Francisco and Melegrito, she added.

Besides Representative Robes, Ricalde said Representative Jon-jon Mendoza also allotted his pork barrel fund to Sagip-Buhay.

“Dahil po sinabi ni Mrs. Robes kay Cong. Mendoza na may foundation po kami na pwedeng gamitin para babaan ng pondo upang magamit sa pag rerelease ng medical assistance, schorlaship at burial assistance tulad ng kay Cong. Mendoza na maayos din naman pong na implement,” said Ricalde.