DOJ: Last of pork raps to be filed next week

MANILA, Philippines–The third and last batch of pork barrel cases related to the alleged P10-billion scam allegedly perpetuated by Janet Lim-Napoles will be filed in the Office of the Ombudsman either on Friday or early next week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the third batch would cover “a little more” lawmakers than those charged in each of the first two batches.

Speaking to reporters before she faced the Commission on Appointments (CA) at the Senate where her ad interim appointment as justice secretary was eventually confirmed, De Lima said the new cases would not involve plunder but malversation.

The first batch of cases covered 39 respondents, of whom eight were former and incumbent lawmakers, including Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr.

The second batch of cases had 34 respondents, seven of whom were former members of the House of Representatives.

De Lima said the National Bureau of Investigation was ready to file the new cases.

“That’s probably the last (we are going to file) for the 2007-2009 covered by the Commission on Audit (COA),” she said.

She was referring to the COA special audit report on the graft-ridden Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) that covered the last two years of the Arroyo administration.

Other non-Napoles NGOs

But De Lima said the cases would not be the last to be filed by the government on the PDAF scam because the Inter-Agency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council (IAAGC) was still looking into other questionable pork barrel-funded projects that were implemented by other nongovernment organizations not operated by Napoles.

The DOJ-NBI is a member of the IAAGC.

Whistle-blowers led by Benhur Luy claimed that 50 percent of a PDAF allocation went to the lawmaker, 35 percent to Napoles, 10 percent to the implementing agencies and 5 percent to the lawmakers’ chiefs of staff.

Last December, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the PDAF, a lump-sum fund that financed pet projects of senators and members of the House.

Mum on names

De Lima was mum though on the identities of those to be included in the new charges.

“I’m just being consistent on the stance of the Department of Justice-NBI. We can only name names and tell you who are to be charged at the time we will file the charges,” she added.

Considering the big number of people to be charged in the pork barrel scam, De Lima supported Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales’ proposal for the Supreme Court to form two special courts (two divisions of the Sandiganbayan) to try the pork barrel cases.

“I think the Ombudsman was looking ahead, thinking ahead. She’s anticipating there will be more cases to be filed in the PDAF scam … for the sake of order and convenience and focused proceedings,” De Lima said.

She said Morales’ request was being considered by the high court, which on Tuesday ordered the Sandiganbayan to comment on the proposal.