Graft, plunder raps ordered vs ex-lawmaker, Napoles

MANILA, Philippines - Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has ordered the filing of another plunder case against businesswoman Janet Napoles in connection with the misuse of the P95-million Priority Development Assistance Fund of a former partylist representative from 2007 to 2009.

The Ombudsman also indicted for plunder ex- Association of the Philippine Electric Cooperatives partylist Rep. Edgar Valdez and Napoles' driver John Raymund De Asis.

The P95-million PDAF was released through 16 Special Allotment Release Orders (SAROs) coursed through the National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR), Zamboanga del Norte Agricultural College Rubber Estate Corporation (ZREC), National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC) and the Technology Resource Center (TRC) as Implementing Agencies (IAs), using the Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation, Inc. (SDPFFI), Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation, Inc. (MAMFI), and the Philippine Social Development Foundation Incorporated (PSDFI) non-government organization-partners.

In a joint resolution,  Ombudsman Morales also found sufficient grounds to file seven counts of graft against Valdez, Napoles, De Asis, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) officials Mario Relampagos, Rosario Nuñez, Lalaine Paule and Marilou Bare; and the officials of the implementing agencies and NGOs.

The resolution said that during his term, Valdez continuously endorsed the implementation of his PDAF-funded livelihood and agricultural products to Napoles-controlled NGOs.

From 2007 to 2009, MAMFI received P15 million while PSDFI received P18.9 million, and SDPFFI received P46 million.

The funds were supposed to be used for livelihood projects, farm inputs and farm implements, agricultural starter kits, technology transfer training via video courses and printed materials, vegetable seeds, gardening packages, knapsack sprayers, concentrated fertilizers, and other tools and equipment.

The resolution said Valdez's PDAF or pork barrel was never used for the intended projects as these were considered “ghost” projects, with fabricated documents submitted for its liquidation. 

The mayors and municipal agriculturists reported that they never received anything from the office of Valdez, or from any of the project partners. In fact, many of the names appearing on the lists as farmer-recipients were neither residents nor registered voters of the municipalities, the resolution added.

In his sworn testimony, pork barrel whistleblower Benhur Luy testified that Valdez got kickbacks and commissions amounting to P57.7 million from 2004 to 2010 with the payoffs usually made at the JLN office in Ortigas.

Whistleblowers Marina Sula and Merlina Suñas also claimed that they often heard Napoles call Valdez by his code name "kuryente" (electricity).

Meanwhile, the criminal charges against notaries public Editha Talaboc, Delfin Agcaoili, Jr., Joel Gordola, Antonio Santos, and accountants Lucita Solomon, Susan Victorino and SDPFFI incorporator Doreena Bazan were dismissed for insufficiency of evidence.