MANILA, Philippines - The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Thursday resumed its investigation on the multi-million pork barrel scam allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim-Napoles.
The fifth hearing was again attended by Benhur Luy, the primary whistleblower in the scam who had revealed that Napoles allegedly pocketed lawmakers' pork barrel that were diverted to her bogus non-government organizations (NGOs).
Five other witnesses in the controversy testified at the Senate hearing on Thursday and explained their connections to Napoles and their roles in the alleged scam masterminded by the businesswoman.
Benhur Luy
The key whistleblower in the alleged multi-million scam is Janet Lim-Napoles' second cousin and former personal assistant. He was the president of the non-government organization Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation and worked for Napoles from 2002 to 2012.
Gertrudes Luy
She is the mother of Benhur Luy and worked as nanny to Napoles' children from 1990 to 2012. Without her knowledge, Gertrudes was named president of Bukirin Tanglaw, an NGO of Napoles that was embroiled into the Malampaya fund scam. Luy said she was entrusted to receive bags of cash --sometimes amounting to P75 million-- delivered to Napoles.
Merlina Suñas
This whistleblower was connected to Napoles from 1997 to 2012 and was a project coordinator in the JLN Corporation. In 2003, she was named as president of the NGO People's Organization for Progress and Development foundation. She was tasked to create the bogus NGOs that would siphon pork barrel of lawmakers, who received kickbacks.
Marina Sula
Sula was a staff and president of Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation, Inc. and was connected to Napoles NGOs from 1997 to August 2013. Saying her "expertise" was on licensing, Sula explained that she was directed by Napoles to form her NGOs and corporations and process their papers and open bank accounts. She also listed Napoles' properties hear and abroad.
Arlene Baltazar
Baltazar was hired in 2006 as a weekly bookkeeper and became a regular employee in JLN Corporation in 2011. She handled the filing of documents and payments to BIR, SSS, Philhealth, and GSIS. This whistleblower was connected to the Napoles group until August of this year and was the president of Tanglaw Para Sa Magsasaka Foundation.
Simonette Briones
Briones was one of the presidents of the Napoles NGO Countrywide Agri and Economic Development (CARED) from 2009 to 2013. Though she has filed her affidavit, she told the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that she do not know the dubious transactions of her boss.
Note: The information regarding the whistleblowers were based on their testimonies during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Thursday.