Napoles, 5 senators face plunder complaint over 'pork' scam

MANILA, Philippines - Two members of a public safety advocacy group filed a plunder complaint against businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, five senators and 23 congressmen.

Lawyer Jose Malvar Villegas and Carlo Batalla from Citizens Crime Watch filed the case before the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday accusing the lawmakers and Napoles of involvement in a multi-billion peso scam using government funds.

Among the lawmakers named in the complaint were senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr., Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Jinggoy Estrada and Gregorio Honasan, and former Muntinlupla City representative, now Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon.

Villegas also claimed that current Technical Education and Skills Development director Joel Villanueva, Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing, La Union Rep. Victor Ortega and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez participated in the illegal scheme.

The complaint was filed amid the ongoing parallel investigations of the government, headed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Moraes, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the National Bureau of Investigation.

Napoles, who is currently detained on a non-bailable case of serious illegal detention, has been tagged as mastermind of the P10-billion pork barrel scam. Several lawmakers have also been tagged in the scam.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had said that a plunder case implicating Napoles and several solons who are yet to be named may be filed on Monday.