3rd batch of pork scam cases to be filed at Ombudsman today

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

A third batch of lawmakers linked to the pork barrel scam will be charged by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) today (Friday) before the Office of the Ombudsman, the Inquirer learned.

To be charged are  Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan,Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Director General Joel Villanueva, La Union  (1st district) Representative Victor Ortega, Manila (5th district) Representative Amado Bagatsing, Cagayan de Oro (2nd district) Representative Rufus Rodriguez, former La Union Representative Manuel Ortega, and former Zamboanga Representative Isidoro Real Jr.

Of those to be charged, only Villanueva, a close ally of President Benigno Aquino III, is a member of the ruling Liberal Party. Meanwhile, Honasan, previously an independent candidate, is now the vice president of the United Nationalist Alliance.

The filing of the third batch of cases had been postponed several times. KS

READ: Gov’t failure to file 3rd batch of pork scam cases slammed