Another plunder rap filed against PNoy's agriculture chief

MANILA, Philippines - New plunder complaints were filed against Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR) chief executive Honesto Baniqued for allegedly illegally acquiring millions pesos of public funds.

In an 18-page complaint lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman, lawyer Argee Guevara from the Sanlakas party-list group claimed that Alcala financed the losing gubernatorial bid of his son Irvin Alcala in Quezon province in 2013 with public funds supposedly for agricultural projects.

"Hundreds of millions of government funds were funneled and diverted in the projects he claimed to have implemented in Quezon to back up the losing bid of his son," Guevara said.

The funds, he said, were used to pay community volunteers and organizers of the younger Alcala's campaign through various attached agencies of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The department, through its regional office, also hired a large number of people for the May elections, Guevara said.

"In the last May 10, 2013 elections, DA (Regional Unit Field's) issuance of job orders increased abnormally, making it clear that respondent Alcala directed his Regional Directors and all attached DA agencies in Quezon to support the gubernatorial bid of his son," the lawyer said.

Guevara claimed that Alcala knowingly played a key role in the large-scale scam orchestrated by detained businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.

The latest case is the third plunder complaint lodged against Alcala and linked with Napoles.

Guevara also claimed that Alcala is likely the "missing link" in the ongoing investigation on Napoles' scheme.

NABCOR's alleged misdeeds

The lawyer cited the Commission on Audit report on misuse of billions perceived through NABCOR's lack of disbursement vouchers accounting for funds from the DA.

"NABCOR has metamorphosed into a ghastly financial hemorrhage," Guevara wrote.

"A pattern of overt or criminal acts indicative of overall unlawful scheme or conspiracy to commit plunder is eloquently shown in the COA Audit Report on NABCOR as of December 31, 2012," Guevara added.

Guevara also accused Alcala and Baniqued of rewarding themselves and the government-controlled corporation's board of hefty salaries, allowances and bonuses and amounting to P23.6 million.

"Given the unassailable COA Report as of December 31, 2012 and the unexplained enormous wealth of the respondent Alcala, there is substantial evidence to establish that hundreds of millions if not billions by the respondents and their minions, followers, allies, relatives, dummies and business associates," the lawyer wrote.