NBI set to file Malampaya scam raps vs Napoles, cohorts

MANILA, Philippines -  Janet Lim-Napoles, the businesswoman at the center of the pork barrel fund scam, will face more criminal charges, this time in connection with the P900-million Malampaya fund scam.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima confirmed over the weekend that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) would file the new set of criminal complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman this week.

De Lima admitted the filing of the charges has been delayed with regard to the alleged misuse of proceeds from the Malampaya natural gas deposits off Palawan.

“We were preoccupied by the Senate blue ribbon investigation and also by the bail hearings in the serious illegal detention case against Mrs. Napoles in the Makati RTC (Regional Trial Court). Only one team from NBI is handling all of these fact-finding probes,” she explained.

De Lima refused to reveal more details, including what specific charges would be filed and names of government officials to be included in the charge sheet.

But Levito Baligod, counsel of whistleblower Benhur Luy, hinted that a former Cabinet secretary has been implicated in the scam.

He refused to name the official, but earlier reports had pointed to former agrarian reform secretary Nasser Pangandaman.

Baligod alleged that Napoles used the same scheme in the lawmakers’ pork barrel racket in amassing millions of Malampaya funds.

He bared that 12 bogus nongovernment organizations were used by Napoles in the scam.

Baligod, however, admitted that the whistleblowers are not privy to whether or not public officials also pocketed Malampaya funds.

“That (information) would be up to Napoles and heads of NGOs to explain. If there is really no public official involved, then the case would be malversation of public funds by private individuals,” he explained.

After the charges on Malampaya funds scam, De Lima said more charges in relation to the pork barrel scam would follow.

De Lima revealed that the NBI is readying the “second and subsequent batches” of charges against those involved in the pork barrel or Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) racket.

She said the succeeding cases would involve NGOs other than those run by Napoles and could include more lawmakers and government officials.