Jinggoy blames DAR for alleged P220-M fund scam

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Jinggoy Estrada yesterday blamed the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for the alleged anomalous disbursement of P220 million of its funds, which he and Sen. Gringo Honasan supposedly endorsed for the use of 24 municipalities and 13 questionable non-government organizations (NGOs) in 2011.

He stressed that lawmakers only identify recipients of their respective Priority Development Assistance Fund while concerned implementing agencies release the money.

Estrada directed his staff to collate documents related to the DAR projects he endorsed, adding that he is ready to face his accusers.

He noted that some of the recipient mayors even thanked him for endorsing their projects.

Honasan also gave assurance he would cooperate in any probe even as he expressed support to measures that will ensure transparency in the use of government funds.

The DAR probe showed that Honasan endorsed P150 million for agrarian reform projects in 14 towns through three NGOs.

Fake SARO

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation into how a fake P879-million special allotment release order (SARO) was released from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

“We want to know how this is processed by the DBM. How it is released and signed,” said NBI officer-in-charge Medardo de Lemos.

De Lemos added it is “too early” to tell if there is a syndicate operating at the DBM.

He said the NBI probe would also look into how people get hold of dubious but signed SAROs for farm-to-market roads.

De Lemos said they found out that two of the 12 SAROs have been offered in the Visayas. He refused to elaborate pending further investigation.

House to cooperate

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said the House of Representatives would fully cooperate with the NBI probe into the SARO scam that reportedly involved some congressional staffers.

“I prefer first of all for NBI to get to the bottom of this because it involves other regions. I certainly don’t like to preempt it and appear that I’m protecting somebody,” he told reporters. “We’ll cooperate 100 percent.”

He urged House members to ask their employees who are allegedly involved in the scam to submit themselves for investigation by the NBI.  – With Aie Balagtas See, Paolo Romero