20 lawmakers tied to new P500M pork scam
Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon Revilla Jr. and former Sen. Edgardo Angara (from left), along with 17 current and former representatives, have been accused of channeling at least P500 million of their pork barrel allocations to questionable nongovernment organizations (NGOs), documents made available to the Inquirer showed. FILE PHOTOS
Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon Revilla Jr., former Sen. Edgardo Angara, and 17 current and former representatives have been accused of channeling at least P500 million of their pork barrel allocations to questionable nongovernment organizations (NGOs), documents made available to the Inquirer showed.
The documents included sworn statements executed by four new whistle-blowers that form part of the evidence being prepared by Levito Baligod, a lawyer who helped expose the P10-billion racket involving the diversion of the congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to fake NGOs of Janet Lim-Napoles.
The PDAF funds were funneled to state-owned National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor) and ended in the accounts of several organizations found by the Commission on Audit (COA) to be questionable, according to the documents.
The affidavits, along with copies of checks and other documents, will be submitted to the Office of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales on Wednesday by Baligod, counsel for the whistle-blowers.
“May I respectfully refer to you for appropriate actions the enclosed affidavits of four witnesses who detailed their knowledge on the involvement of certain government officials and private individuals in the so-called PDAF scam,” Baligod said in his letter to the Ombudsman.
Baligod said in his letter that PDAF funds ended in questionable NGOs “through the solicitation of other service providers using exactly the same modus as that of Janet Napoles.”
“The witnesses share their knowledge on how the malversation of P490,685,000.00 of PDAF happened and the participation of each of those who appear to be responsible,” Baligod said.
Named by the new witnesses as among those who assigned their pork barrel from 2007 to 2010 to fake people’s organizations were:
— Revilla, P22 million in special allocation release order (Saro) numbers ROCS-07-08555 allocated to St. James the Apostle Multipurpose Cooperative.
— Enrile, P15 million with Saro number ROCS-09-04956 to Kagandahan ng Kapaligiran Foundation Inc.
— Angara, P20 million with Saro number ROCS-09-05619, also to Kagandahan.
Angara’s denial
Angara denied he allocated money to Kagandahan and said his office had no records of such transaction. He also said he did not know Quennie Estanislao and Maylanie Asuncion alleged by witnesses as the owners of the foundation.
“We never assigned funds to the said organization and based on our office records and the Senate finance committee there was absolutely no allocation,” Angara said. He also said the issue had already been cleared with COA.
The documents also showed that:
— Former Davao Rep. Prospero Nograles allocated a total of P96 million to two NGOs—Aaron Foundation allegedly operated by now Davao Rep. Nancy Catamco (P60 million with Saro number BMB-03240 and ROCS-08-05177) and Kapuso’t Kapamilya Foundation (P36 million with Saro number BMB-07-09681 and BMB-07-03264) whose owner was alleged to be Marilou Ferrer.
— Former Rep. Joseph Santiago allocated a total of P32.5 million with Saro numbers E-08-08945, ROCS-07-00333, ROCS-07-02117 to Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation allegedly owned by a Marilou Antonio; Ikaw at Ako Foundation of Joel Soriano and Buhay Mo Mahal Ko Foundation also of Antonio and Kasangga sa Magandang Bukas Foundation also of Antonio.
— Former Rep. Roberto Cajes of Bohol allocated P90.3 million with Saro numbers ROCS-07-08956, ROCS-08-04339, ROCS-09-05253, BMB-E-07-07367, BMB-08-00457, ROCS-07-00439 and ROCS 07-02950 to questionable NGOs—
Gabay sa Magandang Bukas Foundation, Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa, Kapuso’t Kapamilya and Buhay Mo Mahal Ko.
— Former Rep. Florencio Miraflores allocated P25 million with Saro numbers ROCS-07-00722, ROCS-0608146, ROCS-07-03483, ROCS-07-07405, ROCS-08-00420 to Center for Mindoro Integrated Development Foundation and Uswag Guimaras Foundation and suppliers.
— Iloilo Rep. Neil Tupas allocated P5 million with Saro number ROCS-08-03696 to Kabuhayan at Kalusugan Alay sa Masa Foundation, also of Antonio.
— Former Rep. Carol Lopez allocated P29 million with Saro numbers ROCS-08-07146 and ROCS-08-05631 to Kagandahan ng Kapaligiram Foundation, also of Antonio.
— Former Rep. Edgar San Luis allocated P10 million with Saro number E-08-09740 to Kaisa’t Kaagapay Foundation care of Maripaz de la Vega and Rizza de la Vega. (According to the witnesses, the De la Vegas were fronts of a still unidentified person.)
— Rep. Arturo Robes allocated P8 million with Saro number ROCS-08-07053 and BMB-08-003055 to Kaisa’t Kaagapay also to the De la Vegas and Kapuso’t Kapamilya Foundation of a Marilou Ferrer.
— Former Rep. Joel Villanueva allocated P45 million with Saro numbers ROCS-08-05175, ROCS 09-04151, DO8-07773 to Aaron Foundation, Kaagapay Magpakailanman and Infinite Community Integrated Development Support.
— Former Rep. Rodolfo Antonino allocated P15 million with Saro number ROCS-07-02898 to Buhay Mo Mahal Ko Foundation.
— Former Rep. Reno Lim allocated P33.43 million with Saro numbers ROCS-09-04604, ROCS-09-04095, ROCS-08-03725, ROCS-08-07187 to Kagandahan ng Kapaligiran and Gabaymasa Development Foundation.
— Rep. Julius Ledesma IV of Negros Oriental allocated a total of P27 million with Saro numbers ROCS-08-07953. ROCS-08-07954 and ROCS-09-04785 to Kaisa’t Kaagapay Mo Foundation.
— Former Rep. Evita Arago allocated P6 million with Saro number E- 09-02570 to Kaisa’t Kaagapay Mo Foundation.
— Former Pangasinan Rep. Rachel Arenas allocated P9.7 million with Saro number ROCS-08-08864 to Pangkabuhayan Foundation operated by Evelyn “Lyn” Miranda.
— Former Rep. Alfonso Umali allocated P4.8 million with Saro number ROCS-08-00826 to Kaagapay Magpakailanman.
— Rep. Al Francis Bichara allocated 18 million to Kaisa’t Kaagapay Foundation.
— Former Rep. Marina Clarete allocated a total of P37.5 million under Saro numbers 07-07894, 0804170, 09-04240 and BMB E-08-00596 to three foundations—Kabuhayan at Kalusugan Alay sa Masa, Kasangga sa Magandang Bukas Foundation and Alay sa Masa. Nancy C. Carvajal
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