Gringo, Jinggoy face Ombudsman probe over DAR scam

Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada (INQUIRER PHOTOS)

Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan and former Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Ejercito Estrada face a preliminary investigation by the Ombudsman for their alleged involvement in a P220-million scam in the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

In a statement on Friday, the Office of the Ombudsman said the following face investigation for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and malversation through falsification of public documents – Honasan, Estrada, former Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes, former Rep. Arturo Robes of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, and five officials of the DAR and Department of Budget and Management.

Ombudsman field investigators said that from 2010 to 2011, the DAR allocated P220 million for livelihood and training projects for farmers  in 27 municipalities in the provinces of Isabela, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Ilocos Norte, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Quezon, Batangas, and Pangasinan.

Of the P220 million, at least P20 million was released from the 2010 DAR regular fund upon Honasan’s request, and that P100 million was sourced from Honasan’s Priority Development Assistance Fund in 2011.

Meanwhile, at least P50 million was released from the 2011 DAR regular fund upon Estrada’s request, while another P50 million was released for projects endorsed by Agrarian Reform Undersecretary Jerry Pacturan.

Under the project, the fund was intended to be released to each municipality for P5 million to P10 million through 13 nongovernment organizations tasked to implement the programs.

The projects turned out to be nonexistent or “ghost projects,” resulting in a disallowance by the Commission on Audit, the Ombudsman said.

It also noted a deliberate or extensive use of falsified documents and forged signatures to substantiate and justify the disbursement and utilization of the P220 million.

The Ombudsman said it would also investigate Janet Lim Napoles, the businesswoman accused as the mastermind in the pork barrel scam, for her alleged involvement in the DAR scam.

Also included in the preliminary investigation are former Agrarian Reform Undersecretaries Pacturan, Narciso Nieto and Teresita Panlilio; Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos; DAR employees Ronald Venancio and Rowena Agbayani; NGO representatives Evelyn de Leon, John Raymond de Asis, Mylene Encarnacion, Simplicio Gumafelix, Eulogio Rodriguez, Evelyn Miranda, Perfecto Jaime Tagalog, Remo Bana, Michelle Imperial, Richard Tubiera, Lyngie Tubiera, Melinda Calagui and Ronald John Lim Jr.; notaries public Donato Manguiat, Editha Talaboc, Mark Oliveros and Raymond Gerardo Tansip; Florida Robes, spouse of respondent Robes; Estrada deputy chief of staff Pauline Therese Labayen; and a certain Rodrigo Galay.

Estrada faces a plunder case before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly receiving P183 million in kickbacks from his PDAF. Labayen, a coaccused, is at large.

De los Reyes, Pacturan, Relampagos, Panlilio, Venancio and Agbayani also face administrative adjudication proceedings for grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. /rga