Luy appears at Sandiganbayan, pins down 3 senators

MANILA, Philippines - Pork barrel fund scam whistleblower Benhur Luy finally took the witness stand on Thursday to testify against Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., the lawmaker's former chief of staff Richard Cambe and businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.

In his testimony before the Sandiganbayan First Division, Luy affirmed and reiterated his earlier revelations before a Senate investigation as to how the priority development assistance fund (PDAF) allocations of lawmakers were misused through bogus non-government organizations that implemented ghost or fictitious projects.

Luy, answering questions on direct examination by Ombudsman Director Joefferson B. Toribio of the prosecution panel, repeatedly referred to Napoles, his second cousin, as "Madam Janet Napoles."

He narrated anew how fake NGOs were formed using his name and the names of Napoles' other employees including household helpers, drivers, and security escorts.

Confronted with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) documents, he admitted that the NGOs like the Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation Inc. (SDPFFI) where he was named as president, were registered but the signatures were forged "sa utos po ni Maam Janet Napoles."

Luy said he knew all these because he was an employee of JLN Corp. as a personal assistant from 2002 and finance officer from 2003 or 2004 up to 2012. He said he was tasked to prepare rebates of commissions in cash of government officials and lawmakers in exchange for PDAF funds.

Twice asked by Toribio to name those who received kickbacks from Napoles, Luy mentioned the names of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, Revilla and a few former congressmen.

He said more people benefited from the scam aside from those he mentioned during the hearing.

Defense lawyers led by Revilla's lawyer Joel Bodegon, Cambe's lawyer Remigio Ancheta, and Napoles' lawyer Stephen David, repeatedly raised objections on the validity of Luy's testimony as an admission by a co-conspirator that is being made before conspiracy is even established and other issues including the slow pace of the proceedings but was mostly overruled by the Sandiganbayan.

Two hours after the bail hearing started at around 8:35 a.m., magistrates started complaining that the presentation of Luy that are supposed to be summary in nature is taking too long.

Toribio, however, explained that the identification of documents and forged signatures or orders of Napoles is vital to the prosecution because the testimony of the witness is being backed by documentary evidence.

"We should be given a chance to present the witness how we want to. it is not in our intest to delay this case. We are not delaying this case," he stressed after defense lawyers insinuated that the prosecution is deliberately trying to take it slow.

No to opening of bank accounts

Before the hearing started, Luy questioned the the issuance of subpoenas to five different bank officials who were asked to bring the bank records of the pork barrel scam whistleblower.

His legal counsel, Anel Martin Antero, told the Sandiganbayan that they will move to quash the subpoenas issued for BDO, BPI, Metrobank, UCPB, and Landbank of the Philippines, on the request of Napoles' lawyer.

Bank officials also ended up asking for time to comment in writing on the issue as to why they were being asked to present Luy's bank records and transactions and what documents specifically are they being ordered to produce.

Napoles' camp, which has been pointing to Luy as the one who pocketed funds through the pork barrel fund scam, said they asked for the bank records of the witness "in the interest of the truth."