3 agencies involved in ‘congressional insertions scam’—De Lima

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Three agencies of government are involved in the so-called “congressional insertions scam,” Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said Wednesday.

De Lima said the scam is different from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam but still, some 10 to 15 lawmakers benefitted from it.

“Iba ibang mga projects din, mga implementing agencies din [involved], and when I asked sina Atty. [Levito] Baligod and the NBI Team, ang sabi nila mga congressional insertions.

“Mga projects din yan, requests, so parang nagiging modus na naman dyan is, sa paglalagay ng mga (These are also projects, requests so the modus there) is the so-called congressional insertions by a particular lawmaker, meron munang kakausapin na (they had to talk first to an) implementing agency. We will include this in the investigation because some Napoles NGOs are also involved,” De Lima said. She, however, refused to identify the agencies involved.

The justice chief said some of the lawmakers allegedly involved in this scam are already included in the first batch of “pork barrel” scam cases filed with the Office of the Ombudsman last September, while others have not yet been charged but mentioned in the sworn affidavits executed by the whistleblowers led by former Napoles aide Benhur Luy.

Earlier, Baligod mentioned that a P407-million scam also benefitted several lawmakers. He said it will be the third batch of complaint which will be filed with the Office of the Ombudsman.

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