Pork scam suspect Valdez wants to be detained with Senators Revilla, Estrada

MANILA, Philippines—Citing diabetes and a bullet lodged in his spine, former party-list representative Edgar Valdez asked the Sandiganbayan to detain him at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center with fellow accused Senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada.

Valdez filed the urgent ex-parte motion after he surrendered in the antigraft court for plunder over the pork barrel scam under the scheme of Janet Lim-Napoles.

Valdez used to represent electric cooperatives in Congress as Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (Apec) party-list solon.

“On July 8, 2013, Valdez was diagnosed with Lumbosacral Spondylosis with multilevel disk bulge (posterior and intraosseus) and L1-L2 disk space narrowing; foreign body (bullet) embedded in the L2 vertebral body with left lateral wedged shape compression deformity,” the motion said.

Valdez also said he is suffering from diabetes, which he said required constant medical attention.

Valdez said his detention at the custodial center would allow him access to nearby PNP General Hospital where fellow accused Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile is detained.

“The condition limits the mobility of Valdez and likewise necessitates regular and immediate medical attention. Should the Honorable Court order his detention at the PNP Custodial Center, Camp Crame, Quezon City, a nearby hospital located within the premises of Camp Crame is readily accessible to Valdez whenever his condition will require medical attention,” Valdez’s motion said.

Valdez, in the meantime, will be detained at the Sandiganbayan detention because his motion could not yet be settled by the Fifth Division Justices who are in an out of town work.

Valdez was rushed to the Philippine Heart Center after his surrender due to high blood pressure and high sugar level.

Valdez is accused of pocketing at least P57.787 million in kickbacks from alleged ghost projects funded through the congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) covering the years 2004 to 2010.

Principal whistle-blower Benhur Luy said payoffs for Valdez, whose codename is “kuryente,” were made in the office of Napoles in Ortigas.

In its indictment, the Ombudsman said Valdez endorsed his PDAF funds to Napoles-controlled foundations which were supposed to implement projects like livelihood programs, and the distribution of farm inputs and farm implements.

The Ombudsman said the funding and projects never went to the intended beneficiaries.

“(The) PDAF of Valdez was never used for the intended projects as these were considered ‘ghost’ projects, with fabricated documents submitted for its liquidation,” the Ombudsman said.

It added, “The mayors and municipal agriculturists reported that they never received anything from the office of Valdez, or from any of the project partners.”

“In fact, many of the names appearing on the lists as farmer-recipients were neither residents nor registered voters of the municipalities,” the Ombudsman noted.

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