Truth will save your life or be the best revenge, Miriam tells Napoles

MANILA, Philippines -- Telling the truth about the P10-billion pork barrel scam will either save her life or, failing that, be her best revenge against those out to murder her, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago told Janet Lim-Napoles.

“Gusto nilang patayin ka, kasi nandiyan sa utak mo ang pagkasira, hindi lamang ng kanilang kayamanan, kundi ng kanilang buhay (They want to kill you because in your brain lies the destruction not only of their wealth but of their lives),” Santiago told Napoles, as she urged the businesswoman accused of engineering the scam in collusion with lawmakers and other government officials to identify the most guilty parties in the embezzlement of huge sums in congressional pork barrel.

And in case she is murdered, Santiago told Napoles, her testimony would at least be perpetuated.

“Ngayon pa lang sabihin mo na kung sino ang most guilty dito kasi sakaling mapatay ka, puwedeng gamitin ang testimonya mo dito na parang affidavit na maaaring gamitin sa korte (Right now you better say who is the most guilty here because if you are killed, your testimony here can be like an affidavit that can be used in court),” Santiago said. “Mawawalan ka ng problema, hindi mamamatay ang testimonya mo (You will get rid of your problems, your testimony will not die).”

Santiago also suggested that Napoles petition the court for the perpetuation of her testimony.

“Dahil pinag-iinitan ka, puwede kang humingi ng (Because you are under threat, you can ask for the) perpetuation of testimony, (for) which you can file a petition before the court,” she said. “Kung kumbinsido ang korte na kung mapatay ka at hindi makakamit ang katarungan, papayag ang korte na bigyan ka ng (If the court is convinced that justice will not be attained if you are killed, the court will grant) perpetual testimony.”

“Kaya habang buhay ka, mapanganib ang buhay mo, kasi nasa panganib ang buhay nila, maraming panganib sa buhay nila. Habang buhay ka, sabihin mo na (That’s why, while you’re still alive, your life is in danger because their lives are in danger, there are many threats to their lives. While you are alive, tell all). These people are murderous, they are planning your murder,” Santiago said.

 “Kasi kung mapatay ka, nagantihan mo na sila, ipapatay ka nila, kaya habang buhay ka pa, gantihan mo na sila, magbigay ka ng (Because if you are killed, you would have struck back already, they are out to kill you, so while you are still alive, strick back, give your) perpetual testimony,” Santiago said.

“Pag-isipan mo ‘yan, para sa abogado mo ‘yan (Think about that, that’s for your lawyer),” she added.

source: interaksyon.com

Security plans all set for Napoles arraignment on Monday - PNP

MANILA - Security measures are adequate in the high-risk mission of transporting to and from Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna the alleged “pork-barrel queen,” Janet Lim-Napoles, for her arraignment Monday in a Makati City court, the Philippine National Police said on Sunday.

Napoles' arraignment on serious illegal detention charges filed by pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy will proceed after the Makati court threw out Napoles' motion to defer arraignment pending action on her petition for certiorari at the Court of Appeals.

Superintendent Wilben Mayor, PNP spokesman, said Sunday: “Units of the SAF (Special Action Force) in coordination [with] and support from NCRPO (National Capital Regional Police Office), HPG (Highway Patrol Group) and PRO4A (Police Regional Office 4-A) are tasked to provide security.”

Napoles, currently detained at a bungalow at the anti-terrorism police training camp in Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa City, will be transported to the sala of Judge Elmo Alameda at Branch 150 of the Makati RTC, where she will be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. Monday. She will return to Laguna after that.

Benhur Luy, Napoles’ cousin and former bookkeeper of her transactions in the P10-billion pork-barrel scam, had accused the businesswoman of illegally detaining him for nearly four months starting December 2012 after she began suspecting he was setting up his own racket.

Funds sourced from lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocations were allegedly funneled into Napoles’ fake nongovernment organizations. According to Luy, 50 percent of the allocation for a project was pocketed by some lawmakers as their “commission” from Napoles.

Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada, Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, some incumbent and former congressmen, incumbent and former government officials, and private individuals were charged last week with plunder and malversation of public funds by the Department of Justice at the Office of the Ombudsman.

Mayor did not give details on the route and time of Napoles's transport to , on ly saying the convoy must be at Alameda's sala in time for the 1:30 p.m. start of court proceedings.

Earlier, Senior Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac, head of the PNP’s Public Information Office, said: “All security operations for this will be spearheaded by the PNP-SAF. Suffice it to say, all other information are sensitive operational data. Hence, they are classified. The SAF is testing all sorts of combinations based on all possible scenarios earlier discussed in yesterday’s (Friday’s) meeting.”

source: interaksyon.com

'A year is too long for Ombudsman to file plunder cases vs. lawmakers who misused pork funds'

One year is too long for the Office of the Ombudsman--which prosecutes government officials--to file plunder complaints against lawmakers who have been found to have misused their Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) before the Sandiganbayan.

This was emphasized by the minority bloc in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, adding that cases should be lodged by December.

The government by this time should have the evidence to back its allegations against those who have erred in using their pork barrel funds, Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora said.

"Let us remember that this is not a new case. We are not looking for new evidence. All of these things are being talked about, many whistleblowers have spoken. There are voluminous documents presented about the case. If this is not probable cause, then what does probable cause mean?" Zamora said in a news conference.

The bloc was reacting to a statement by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, who said that her office would be able to decide in a year or less the plunder case against Janet Lim Napoles and three senators and several former congressmen involved in the pork barrel scam.

On Monday, the Department of Justice filed cases against Senators JuanPonce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Ramon Revilla Jr., former Housemembers and several others for allegedly channelling pork barrel fundsinto bogus projects.

In the same news conference, Representative Silvestre Bello of 1-Banatat Ahapo partylist said the filing of charges before the anti-graft court should not take a year "because in effect, they will only be affirming the DOJ findings."

Zamora said that it was important that the case can be brought to the court to try and punish the guilty and absolve the innocent.

"Between now and one year, malaki ang possibility na magkakaron ng iba pang malaking kaso, baka makalimutan ang impotance ng kasong ito," he added.

Zamora said they are awaiting the other names that the DoJ will include in the pork barrel case, including lawmakers who allegedly misused their PDAF based on the Commission on Audit special audit report.

He said they would ask the DoJ about the progress of the case when its budget is tackled in plenary within the week.

source: interaksyon.com

NBI bares how 8 lawmakers 'amassed' P835-M pork in their deals with Napoles

MANILA, Philippines - How did eight legislators led by senators Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, and Juan Ponce Enrile allegedly amass P835 million in kickbacks through their dealings with businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles?

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which recommended the filing of plunder, malversation, direct bribery, and graft and corrupt practices against the lawmakers, accused the legislators of engaging in eight-step "modus operandi."

1) Napoles and lawmaker agree that the businesswoman's non-government organization (NGO) will be the recipient of the legislator's Priority Development Assistance Fund for purposes of supposedly implementing projects authorized by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

In exchange for selecting Napoles' NGO, the lawmaker will receive from the businesswoman 40 to 60 percent of the cash value of the project as kickback.
2) Lawmaker submits a list of projects to the DBM.

3) DBM in turn issues a Special Allotment Releases Order (SARO) to the lawmaker, who then endorses a selected Napoles NGO to the implementing agency.

4) Without any public bidding, the implementing agency enters into a memorandum agreement with the Napoles NGO for the implementation of the project.

5) After documentation is completed, the DBM issues a Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA) to the implementing agency.

6) Upon receipt of the NCA, the implementing agency issues a check to Napoles' NGO, which is deposited by JLN Corp. employees to the bank before it is withdrawn in cash and delivered to Napoles.

7) Along the way, the kickback of the lawmaker is already paid by Napoles in advance - first, upon submission of the project list to DBM, second, upon release of the SARO.

The chief-of-staff of the lawmaker or his representative, who facilitates documents and follow ups  with agencies for Napoles and the legislator, also gets 1 to 5 percent of the project cost, also as  kickback.
8) Napoles pockets the rest of the pork barrel funds after deducting the cost of overpriced supplies such as as agricultural lits and training materials procured from a supplier enterprise, which is owned by the businesswoman. The full remaining amount is pocketed by Napoles if there is no delivery of supplies.

78% of 'plundered' PDAF amassed by senators

Of the P745.63 million worth of PDAF allegedly amassed by five lawmakers in their transaction with co-conspirator Napoles, 78 percent or P581.14 million was accumulated by Revilla (P224.512 million), Estrada (183.793 million), and Enrile (172.834 milllion), according to the NBI.

The rest, 22 percent or P164.49 million, was allegedly amassed by former representative and incumbent Masbate governor Rizalina Seachon-Lanete (P108.405 million) and former APEC partylist Rep. Edgard Valdez (P56.087 million).

Three other former lawmakers were accused by the NBI of committing malversation, direct bribery, and other graft and corrupt practices for allegedly amassing a total of P89.752 million from their PDAF.

They are former representatives Rodolofo Plaza of Agusan del Sur (P42.137 million), Samuel Dangwa of Benguet (P26.770 million), and Constantino Jaraula of Cagayan de Oro (20.843 million).

The NBI said the amount allegedly amassed by the three former representatives "are the lawmakers' bribe for giving undue favor to a Napoles NGO, or represent his illegally contracted share from a malversation scheme designed to misuse and misappropriate public funds entrusted to him, and which he appropriates instead for private gain rather (than for) public benefit intended by law."

source: interaksyon.com

Explain why bogus NGOs continued to receive pork barrel even under PNoy's term, DBM told

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad should explain why fake non-government organizations continued to receive public funds even during the time of President Benigno Aquino III since 2010, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) said.

"If indeed the release of PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) since 2010 have been judicious and strictly regulated, why then are there documented releases to fake NGOs through the GOCCs (government owned and controlled corporation), amounting to more than P500 million?” Navotas Representative and UNA secretary general Toby Tiangco said.

Quoting from documents obtained from the Philippine Forest Corporation, National Agribusiness Corporation, Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment of Natural Resources, Tiangco said that some P500 million PDAF was released to fake NGOs between 2010 and 2012.

The P500 million released by the Department of Budget and Management in the last three years was different and separate from the more than P1 billion given between 2010 and 2012 to foundations and corporations under businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.

Tiangco also said that Abad cannot just claim innocence on the multi-billion peso releases to the 82 questionable NGOs identified by the Commission on Audit until 2012.

“Based on records, these 82 NGOs under question still continue to receive millions upon millions from DBM through the implementing agencies. What happened to the restrictions on the pork barrel releases the DBM has been saying—bakit marami pa ring nakakalusot since 2010?” he asked.

Meanwhile, Tiangco criticized the Aquino administration for its "very special treatment" to Napoles since she turned herself in on Thursday..“It’s not special treatment. It’s concierge service,” he said.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Pork’ queen Janet Napoles feeds the latest meme

MANILA, Philippines — Trust wisecracking Filipino Internet users to make light of possibly every situation, no matter how grave or damning, including the sudden surrender of Janet Napoles to President Benigno Aquino III himself on Wednesday night.

Immediately following Napoles’ surrender, social media users took to their favorite photo-editing software to make memes that cast a funny light on how Wednesday’s gripping scenario unfolded in Malacañang.

Below are just some of the memes being passed around Facebook and Twitter hours after Napoles’s surrender, including “speculations” about how her mug shot looks like, the description of her holding cell, and where the P10 million reward will possibly be spent.

source: interaksyon.com

More than two-thirds of the Senate now seek pork barrel abolition

More than two-thirds of the Philippine Senate--or 17 senators--have expressed willingness to forego their pork barrel funds on Friday, three days before a citizens' movement is set to hold a protest action in Manila on Monday.

In separate statements, Senators Nancy Binay, Juan Victor “JV” Ejercito, Juan Edgardo Angara, Grace Poe, Aquilino Pimentel III, Gregorio Honasan, Serge Osmeña, and Lito Lapid said that the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF)--which gives them P200 million each in funds--should be abolished immediately.

Earlier, Senate President Franklin Drilon also said he supports the move, reversing a previous decision upholding a resolution to stop the release of PDAF until “stricter measures” are adopted by the Department of Budget and Management.

Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano filed separate resolutions seeking the abolition of the pork barrel and other lump sum funds in the national expenditures program.

Senators Ralph Recto and Teofisto Guingona III also expressed support for the move.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago has filed the first resolution calling for the abolition of pork barrel in gradual phases, one-half in 2014, another half in 2015, and its eventual abolition in 2016.

Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., also said he wanted to do away with the system after he was linked to bogus non-goverment organizations that siphoned off pork barrel funds through spurious projects and programs.

Lately, Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Honasan also echoed calls for the pork barrel abolition not only in Congress but also all government agencies including from President Benigno Aquino III. “But if it must be scrapped, the pork barrel system should be scrapped totally.

"We should not only look at scrapping the PDAF but include the various “pork barrel” or lump sum appropriations of all departments of government under the GAA as well,” Enrile said.

“After thorough impartial investigation by concerned agencies, departments, shift to line item budget process, immediate passage of FOI/POGI bill that would mean full transparency in public affairs. I would support calibrated abolition of the PDAF/pork barrel/discretionary fund system in all branches/departments of government,” Honasan added.

Former Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, who, like Revilla, is linked to the pork barrel scam, also supported the snowballing move to eradicate the pork barrel system.

While Angara urged Congress to support the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill to avoid misuse of public funds, he also supported the call to abolish PDAF.

Newly-elected senator JV Ejercito said "I feel sorry and really bothers me to witness our nation being embroiled in an anomaly involving the use of government funds. This issue does not only drag the image of the Senate, House of Representatives, and Malacañang, but the entire system of governance as a whole.”

“At this juncture, the function of our President plays an important role in giving direction to where this will all go. The President can end this by issuing a vital decision that mirrors the voice of the people,” Ejercito added.

For her part, Poe thanked President Aquino and supported his statement condemning the abuse of PDAF and his directives to make sure that those who took advantage of pork barrel be brought to justice.

“I also agree with him that the discretionary nature of the PDAF encourages corruption. Together with the President and millions of our countrymen, I support the abolition of the pork barrel system,” Poe said.

Aquino said he will take part in the necessary steps to abolish the PDAF in the Senate, a move that supports assertions of his cousin, President Aquino.

For his part, Pimentel said: "Let's prepare for very thick and detailed national budget because there will be line item budgeting to reflect budget priorities at national district and sectoral levels. Tiyagaan ito sa budget process which should really be the case because budget is the most important law enacted by Congress yearly. But let us all be on the lookout for possible reincarnation of the pork barrel in the future.

"In the past when the CDF was abolished, PDAF took its place," Osmena said that he had already moved in 1997 for its abolition. “Only one senator voted with me.”

Lapid said that he welcomed the decision of President Benigno Aquino III to scrap the pork barrel fund in line with the administration's effort to beef up transparency and ensure propriety of the use of the fund.

"Ito na ang pagkakataon nating mga lingkod-bayan na maipakita na tunay tayong seryoso sa pagsuporta sa adhikain ng ating pangulo para sa isang pamahalaang bumabagtas sa tuwid na daan," Lapid said.

source: interaksyon.com