Noy orders allies probed on ‘pork’

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang has ordered an investigation into another potential pork barrel scam unearthed by the Commission on Audit (COA), this time involving nearly P515 million coursed through the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, an agency under the Office of the President.

“I want to make sure exactly what went to whom, and why was it coursed through the NCMF. I was not immediately aware that they were a conduit or an implementing agency for various PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) projects,” President Aquino told reporters in an ambush interview after the oath taking of newly elected officials of top business organizations at the Palace.

Aquino said he wanted to get to the bottom of the COA findings and directed concerned officials, including Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, to submit a comprehensive report on the issue.

“I told them I need it as soon as possible and I want it as thorough and as complete and as correct as possible,” he said.

The President said they would have to make way first for the so-called observation audit memorandum, where concerned government agencies are given the chance to answer questions from COA.

He stressed he had already ordered a probe even before getting their answers.

Aquino said he is also reviewing NCMF’s functions, which were too many, “to be perfectly candid about it,” as embodied in its charter.

Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Gregorio Honasan and 38 former and incumbent members of the House of Representatives allocated more than P514 million to NCMF in 2012.

According to the COA report, the funds ended up in 18 foundations and non-government organizations (NGO), some of which were identified with alleged pork barrel scam brains Janet Lim-Napoles.

The NGOs supposedly used the money for various livelihood projects, as well as for training and seminars for Muslim Filipinos.

“The audit team was informed that the concerned lawmakers were the ones who identified the NGOs/POs (people’s organizations), and not NCMF, as evidenced by the letters of the lawmakers to the secretary of the NCMF,” the report said.

The report classifies P25 million of the releases as coming from Malacañang’s controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), while the rest came from the now unconstitutional PDAF – the congressional pork barrel’s official name.

“It is our view that the selection of NGOs/POs should be undertaken by NCMF because the funds were released to NCMF, and therefore, the same agency is duty-bound to account for the funds to the government and/or beneficiaries,” the audit team said.

“The practice of allowing lawmakers to select NGOs/POs to implement the PDAF and DAP was not in accordance with COA Circular No. 2007-001. The selection should not be done by lawmakers but by NCMF officials having full responsibility over the funds released to them,” it said.

The circular governs the release of government funds to NGOs. It provides guidelines for the use of such funds.

The audit team noted that the memoranda of agreement (MOA) signed by NCMF, the lawmakers and their chosen NGOs lacked certain requirements prescribed in the circular, such as “time schedules for the releases of funds, periodic inspection/evaluation, reporting, monitoring, date of commencement (of projects), and date of completion.”

Libel case vs daily

Meanwhile, broadcaster Erwin Tulfo yesterday filed a P12-million libel suit against three editors and a reporter of the Philippine Daily Inquirer over a story that tagged him as among those who had benefited from the PDAF scam.

Tulfo, assisted by his lawyer Nelson Borja, filed the libel complaint against editor-in-chief Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, managing editor Jose Ma. Nolasco, news editor Artemio Engracia Jr., and reporter Nancy Carvajal.

In his four-page complaint, Tulfo tagged as malicious and damaging the article titled “Payoffs to Media Bared: 2 broadcasters got checks from Nabcor” published on March 19. With Janvic Mateo, Ben Serrano, Aie Balagtas See