Gringo, Jinggoy face ‘pork’ probe

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Gregorio Honasan and three others are facing investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman for their possible role in a P220-million fund scam in the Department of Agrarian Reform involving Janet Lim-Napoles and her non-government organizations.

Investigators are looking into the possible indictment for graft and malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents of Honasan, former senator Jinggoy Estrada, former lawmaker Arturo Robes and former secretary Virgilio de los Reyes after they found sufficient reason to subject them to preliminary investigation.

Respondents include five other officials of DAR and the Department of Budget and Management. 

Field investigation uncovered that from 2010 to 2011, DAR allocated P220 million for livelihood and training projects for farmers in 27 municipalities in the provinces of Isabela, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Ilocos Norte, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Quezon, Batangas and Pangasinan.

Of the P220 million, P20 million came from the 2010 DAR regular fund released upon the request of Honasan; P100 million came from his 2011 Priority Development Assistance Fund; and the remaining P100 million sourced from the regular fund for 2011.

The Office of the Ombudsman said P50 million of the amount was released upon the request of Estrada, while the other P50 million for projects endorsed by DAR Undersecretary Jerry Pacturan.

Records show that the P220 million remains unliquidated despite several Notices of Disallowance from the Commission on Audit due to non-existence of the projects.

Under the DAR project, each municipality was supposed to receive funds ranging from P5 million to P10 million with 13 NGOs tasked to implement the programs.

The Office of the Ombudsman said actual field verification however showed that none of the projects were implemented as they were “ghost projects.”

Documents also allegedly showed that   there was deliberate or extensive use of falsified documents and forged signatures to fully document, substantiate and justify the disbursement and utilization of the P220 million.

Among those being subjected to preliminary investigation are former agrarian reform undersecretaries Narciso Nieto, Jerry Pacturan, and Teresita Panlilio; budget undersecretary Mario Relampagos, and DAR employees Ronald Venancio and Rowena Agbayani.

NGO representatives identified as Evelyn de Leon, John Raymond de Asis, Mylene Encarnacion, Simplicio Gumafelix, Eulogio Rodriguez, Evelyn Miranda, Perfecto Jaime Tagalog, Remo Bana, Michelle Imperial, Richard Tubiera, Lyngie Tubiera, Melinda Calagui, Ronald John Lim, Jr.; notaries public Donato Manguiat, Editha Talaboc, Mark Oliveros, Raymond Gerardo Tansip; Florida Robes, spouse of respondent Robes; Estrada staff member Pauline Therese Labayen, and a certain Rodrigo Galay are also named respondents.