WHAT WENT BEFORE: Janet Lim-Napoles and PDAF scam

Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

In July 2013, the Inquirer published a five-part special report on allegations that businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles channeled some P10 billion in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) into ghost projects in over 10 years.

Two months later, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice filed the first set of charges in the pork barrel scam against 38 people, including Napoles, Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr., former House lawmakers Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, Edgar Valdez, Rodolfo Plaza, Samuel Dangwa and Constantino Jaraula, senior staff of the senators and congressmen, department heads and other lesser government officials.

In October of the same year, former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, three of her Cabinet secretaries and 20 others, including Napoles, were charged with plunder in connection with the alleged theft of P900 million from the Malampaya Fund meant for storm victims in 2009.

The next month, the Office of the Ombudsman found merit in the plunder case filed against Enrile, Revilla, Estrada, Napoles and others linked to the alleged misuse of PDAF.

In June 2014, the antigraft body indicted Estrada, Enrile, Revilla, Napoles and other government officials in the Sandiganbayan for plunder and multiple counts of graft.

After warrants for their arrest were issued, Revilla, Estrada and Enrile surrendered and were transferred to the Philippine National Police Custodial Center at Camp Crame. Enrile was detained at PNP General Hospital in Camp Crame.

Napoles surrendered earlier in 2013 after a warrant of arrest was issued against her in connection with the illegal detention case filed by whistle-blower Benhur Luy. —INQUIRER RESEARCH

Sources: Inquirer Archives