Napoles, 4 ex-solons face new pork barrel cases

MANILA, Philippines - Detained businesswoman Janet Napoles, the alleged brains behind the pork barrel scam, is again facing a new set of plunder charges after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales found sufficient grounds for the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) amounting to P244.29 million. 

 

Aside from Napoles, the Ombudsman also indicted former Reps. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete of Masbate, Samuel Dangwa of Benguet, Rodolfo Plaza of Agusan Del Sur and Constantino Jaraula of Cagayan de Oro. Their respective chiefs of staff are also facing criminal indictments.

 

Napoles' driver John Raymund de Asis, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary Mario Relampagos, and DBM officials Rosario Nuñez, Lalaine Paule and Marilou Bare, and officials of various non-government organizations of the businesswoman are also facing criminal charges.

 

"Many of the names appearing on the lists as farmer-recipients were neither residents nor registered voters of the place where they were listed as beneficiaries, were fictitious or had jumbled surnames, while others were already deceased.  In other words, these livelihood projects were ghost projects," the ombudsman said in a joint resolution.

 

Morales also referred the cases to the Anti-Money Laundering Council for action on possible violations of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.  

 

Based on the joint resolution, Seachon-Lanete, now Masbate governor, misused P112.29 million of her PDAF from 2007 to 2009 for alleged livelihood projects for farmers.

 

Meanwhile, Plaza faces indictment for five counts of malversation, and two counts of direct bribery for mishandling his PDAF from 2008 to 2009, amounting to P27.5 million.

 

On the other hand, Dangwa is being charged for the misuse of his P54 million PDAF, covered by seven Special Allotment Release Orders. 

 

The joint resolution said that Jaraula used his P50.5 million PDAF from 2004 to 2007 supposedly for  financial assistance, technical assistance  through video courses and printed materials.

 

He is now facing three counts of direct bribery and three counts of malversation among others.