NBI to file more plunder raps next week

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima: We’re working on it. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The National Bureau of Investigation plans to file next week the second batch of plunder complaints on the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima set the target date after being badgered by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, one of the 38 persons charged last month with plunder in the Office of the Ombudsman, about her promise to file similar complaints against additional respondents.

De Lima told reporters on Monday that she planned to file the complaints before the All Souls’ Day break, “if we can.”

“We’re working on it. It’s delayed because of the voluminous documents,” she said.

De Lima said the second batch of complaints involved going through more documents compared to the previous case filed on Sept. 16 against Senators Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon Revilla Jr., along with businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, five former congressmen and 29 others.

“We are in the process of validating, checking and double-checking [data]. We want to make sure that we have enough evidence for each of the respondents,” she said. She declined to elaborate further.

On Oct. 3, the NBI also filed plunder charges against 23 people led by former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in connection with the alleged misuse of P900 million in royalties from the Malampaya gas project in Palawan province.—Dona Z. Pazzibugan