Ilocos political dynasts deny hand in Napoles pork scam

Two incumbent solons and members of powerful political dynasties in the Ilocos region denied their hand in the pork barrel scam allegedly orchestrated by Janet Lim-Napoles.

In a statement on Friday, Abono Rep. Conrado Estrella III said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed the malversation complaint against him even when his supposed signatures in the documents were forged.

He said even the Ombudsman investigators probing his projects said there was proper implementation of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) projects.

“The recommendation to file charges against us lacks basis since the NBI itself already came out with findings that my signatures were forged. It is very ironic that the findings of the NBI, which is under the DOJ, would be contradicted by the mother agency,” Estrella said.

“Field Investigation Office of the Office of the Ombudsman went to my district in Pangasinan and interviewed the intended beneficiaries. The FIO investigators were able to gather from the beneficiaries that there was delivery and proper implementation of my projects,” he added.

Estrella said the filing of the charges is a “knee-jerk reaction to opposition’s generated criticism that the Department of Justice is delaying the PDAF scam cases when, in fact, there is no solid evidence against us.”

Estrella is a member of a political dynasty in Pangasinan. He is accused of receiving P45.030 million in kickbacks from Napoles.

Meanwhile, La Union Rep. Victor Ortega in a separate statement maintained he does not know the alleged mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

“I do not know Napoles or anyone in her group and I have not received any thing at any time from her or her group,” Ortega said.

Ortega is a member of the Ortega political clan which has ruled over La Union for over a century. He is accused of receiving P9.587 million as kickbackS from Napoles.

The NBI filed the malversation, graft and direct bribery complaint before the Ombudsman against Estrella and Ortega as well as their relatives former La Union Representative Manuel Ortega and former Abono Rep. Robert Raymund Estrella.

Also in the complaint are Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (Tesda) Secretary Joel Villanueva, Senator Gregorio Honasan, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing, and former Zamboanga Representative Isidoro Real.

Napoles is serving life sentence after losing the serious illegal detention case filed against her by Benhur Luy, formerly her trusted finance officer, who blew the lid off the alleged scheme of pilfering lawmakers’ PDAF to ghost projects for kickbacks.

She also faces multiple plunder, graft and malversation cases before the Sandiganbayan.

Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon Revilla Jr., as well as former Representatives Rizalina Seachon Lanete and Edgar Valdez have been charged with plunder and detained to face hearings.

Meanwhile, facing charges for malversation over the scam are former Cagayan de Oro Rep. Constantino Jaraula, former Benguet Rep. Samuel Dangwa, and former Agusan Del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza.