Suspension order on 15 officials in ‘pork’ scam extended

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan issued another 90-day preventive suspension order against 15 government officials who are facing trial for alleged involvement in the pork barrel fund scam.

In a ruling dated March 31, the Sandiganbayan said “any public officer who stands charged with violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act must be placed under preventive suspension during the pendency of the case.”

The anti-graft court’s Fifth Division ordered Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary Mario Relampagos, supervisor Rosario Nuñez and administrative assistants Lalaine Paule and Marilou Bare to cease and desist from performing their functions for three months.

Also ordered suspended pending litigation are Technology Resource Center (TRC) chief accountant Marivic Jover and group manager Consuelo Espiritu; Zamboanga del Norte Agricultural College Rubber Estate Corp. (ZREC) president Salvador Salacup and treasurer Eduardo Nolasco; and National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor) general services unit head Romulo Revelo and accounting services division head Maria Ninez Guañizo.

Asset management division chief Gregoria Buenaventura, Chita Jalandoni, Sofia Cruz and Ofelia Ordoñez of the National Livelihood Development Corp. (NLDC) are also suspended.

All 15 are respondents to graft charges lodged against former APEC party-list group lawmaker Edgar Valdez, who is accused of receiving P57.7 million in commissions from alleged pork barrel fund scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles through her questionable non-government organizations from 2004 to 2010.

DBM, TRC, ZREC, Nabcor and NLDC officials and officers have been previously issued preventive suspension orders by the Sandiganbayan as respondents to other pork barrel fund scams involving former and incumbent lawmakers.