Cast of characters in pork barrel scandal By Patrick Quintos and Kathlyn dela Cruz, ABS-CBNNews Posted at 11/07/2013 12:46 AM | Updated as of 11/07/2013 12:46 AM CAST OF CHARACTERS IN PORK BARREL SCAM Janet Lim Napoles Napoles, owner of the JLN Group of Companies, is the alleged mastermind in the pork barrel scam. She is accused of conspiring with lawmakers and other government officials in funneling billions of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) she allegedly set up. She is facing plunder charges along with three senators and 34 others before the Office of the Ombudsman. Jeane Napoles Jeane is the daughter of the alleged mastermind in the pork barrel scam. She got flak for flaunting their lavish lifestyle on her social media accounts. Her mother gave her a Porsche Cayenne and a Porsche Boxster among others as gifts for her 21st birthday. She also owns a Ritz Carlton unit. Jeane is now facing tax evasion charges. Atty. Lorna Kapunan Kapunan is the former counsel for Napoles. The lawyer said she accepted Napoles as a client to get to the truth about the alleged controversy involving lawmakers pork barrel. She resigned as Napoles lawyer allegedly because of a difference of legal strategy with Atty. Freddie Villamor, the in-house counsel of JLN Corporation. WHISTLEBLOWERS Atty. Levito Baligod Baligod is the counsel for pork scam key whistleblower Benhur Luy and the others. He is also handling the serious illegal detention case filed by Luy against Napoles and her brother, Reynald Jojo Lim. He earlier said Napoles had tried to bribe him with P40 million to settle the case. 1. Benhur Luy Luy, a second cousin of Napoles, was a former personal assistant of the businesswoman in the JLN Corporation. He was allegedly detained against his will by Napoles and Lim, and was later on rescued by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to whom he spilled the beans on the scam. He claims to have digital files of Napoles anomalous transactions from 2003 to 2010. 2. Gertrudes Luy Gertrudes is the mother of Benhur Luy. She served as nanny for Napoles children from 1990 until 2012. She said she was entrusted to receive bags of cash on behalf of Napoles, sometimes so huge that the money filled up Napoles bathtub. She was named, allegedly without her knowledge, the president of one of Napoles NGOs, Bukirin Tanglaw. 3. Merlina Pablo Suñas Suñas was a former project coordinator for JLN Corporation. She said she helped set up bogus NGOs where lawmakers pork barrel funds were channeled. She was the president of the fake NGO Peoples Organization for Progress and Development Foundation. 4. Marina Sula Sula is a former bookkeeper of Napoles who was made president of Masaganang Ani para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. She said she was in charge of creating the NGOs by processing their papers. She also opened bank accounts for the organizations, Napoles and her children. She also listed the properties Napoles owns here and abroad, as well as those under the names of her NGOs. 5. Arlene Baltazar Baltazar was a weekly bookkeeper of JLN Corporation in 2006. She became a regular employee in 2011. She was in charge of preparing payments for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Social Security System (SSS), and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). She was also president of a Napoles’ NGO, Tanglaw Para Sa Magsasaka Foundation. 6. Simonette Briones Briones was the president of a Napoles’ NGO, Countrywide Agri and Rural Economic Development (CARED). She, however, denied any involvement in transactions related to the pork barrel scam. 7. Roman Briones Briones was an incorporator of CARED. 8. Eddie Badeo Badeo admitted coordinating with mayors on behalf of Napoles in 2006. The well-known fashion designer said he did that because he was broke that time. Badeo said he got P1 million from working with Napoles, who allegedly vowed to give him P270,000 for each mayor he gets to sign on JLN transactions. 9. Vanessa Eman Eman was a former household help of Napoles. She was made president of Abundant Harvest for People’s Foundation Inc., one of Napoles alleged dummy foundations. 10. Susan Victorino Victorino was Napoles’ former accountant who handled four bogus NGOs. Her signatures were attached to external audit reports that the NGOs needed to submit to the implementing agencies of the projects funded by pork barrel funds. 11. Anabelle Luy-Reario Luy-Reario is the sister of Benhur Luy. She claimed to have talked to her brother while he was detained by Napoles. Luy-Reario also said that Reynald Lim, Napoles’ brother, threatened to kill Luy if he would not admit doing transactions without their knowledge. 12. Lily Lily (not her real name) is the daughter of Dominga Cadelina, the maid who Napoles sent to jail for alleged theft. Lily, who later became Napoles personal assistant, said she personally saw the businesswoman meet politicians, as well as her boss cash-filled bathtub. 38 INDIVIDUALS FACING PLUNDER, MALVERSATION RAPS OVER PORK BARREL SCAM 1. Janet Lim Napoles Senators, congressmen 2. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile Enrile is one of the three senators who allegedly funneled their PDAF to the NGOs. He is accused of accumulating P172.8 million in kickbacks from Napoles. His camp has denied any link to the scam, saying that he did not give his blessings to the actions taken by his former chief of staff, Atty. Gigi Reyes, with respect to his PDAF. 3. Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. Revilla, another senator implicated in the pork scam, allegedly accumulated the biggest kickback amounting to P224.5 million. He has admitted that the Revillas and the Napoleses know each other and sometimes meet in social gatherings. However, he has repeatedly denied any involvement in the scam, saying I am not a thief. 4. Senator Jinggoy Estrada Estrada is accused of plundering P183.79 million in pork barrel funds. Like Revilla, Estrada has admitted that Napoles is a friend. But he has denied involvement in the scam, saying it is not the responsibility of lawmakers but the implementing agencies to verify the existence of NGOs. He is now in the United States accompanying his wife for treatment. 5. Former Congresswoman and now Governor of Masbate Rizalina Seachon-Lanete Seachon-Lanete allegedly earned P108.4 million in the pork barrel scam. 6. Former Congressman Edgar Valdez of the APEC Party-list Valdez allegedly received P56 million in kickbacks from Napoles. Luy said Napoles regularly dealt with Valdez, which earned him the codename kuryente. 7. Former Congressman Rodolfo Plaza of the lone district of Agusan del Sur Plaza allegedly pocketed P42.1 million. He left the Philippines last September 11, the day of the EDSA Tayo anti-pork barrel rally, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI). He is a member of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino and is on the board of trustees of Northern Mindanao State Institute of Science & Technology. 8. Former Congressman Samuel Dangwa of the lone district of Benguet Dangwa allegedly pocketed P26.77 million. 9. Former Congressman Constantino Jaraula of the lone district of Cagayan de Oro Jaraula allegedly pocketed P20.8 million. Chiefs of staff, representatives of lawmakers 10. Atty. Jessica Gigi Reyes, former chief of staff of Enrile Reyes has denied any involvement in the anomaly, saying she felt betrayed by the statement of Enriles lawyer that she went beyond the authority given to her with respect to the senators pork barrel. She left the country for Macau last August 31, according to the BI. 11. Atty. Richard Cambe, staff of Revilla Cambe was allegedly present at the time when Napoles got angry at Luy and detained him. Luy said Cambe was in Napoles office to submit an endorsement letter from an unnamed senator for two project beneficiaries. He left the country in May last year, according to the BI. 12. Ruby Tuason, aide of Enrile and Estrada Tuason, the former social secretary of former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, allegedly received kickbacks for Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile. She is also linked to the Malampaya fund scam and is accused of getting P242.775 million in kickbacks for a still unknown principal. She left the country last August 26, the day of the Million People March in Luneta, according to the BI. Her exact whereabouts remain unknown. 13. Pauline Labayen, former staff of Estrada Labayen was Estrada’s former appointments secretary. She resigned on September 15 after using her two-month leave credit. She was allegedly used as a conduit for transferring the pork funds of the senators to bogus NGOs. 14. Jose Sumalpong, chief of staff of Lanete 15. Jeanette dela Cruz, district staff of Lanete 16. Erwin Dangwa, chief of staff of Dangwa 17. Carlos Lozada, staff of Dangwa Heads of implementing agencies 18. Alan Javellana, former president of National Agribusiness Corp. (NABCOR) Javellana admitted he met with Napoles twice in a coffee shop, but insisted that it was just to brief her about the operations of NABCOR since she was a prospective investor. He said he was only fooled by fake NGOs who got millions of pesos from the pork barrel funds of lawmakers. 19. Gondelina Amata, president of National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC) Amata denied her involvement in the pork barrel scam. She said that the NLDC is constantly monitoring the pork barrel funds that were disbursed through them. Benhur Luy said seven NGOs linked to Napoles got money from NLDC. Amata reportedly received P342,000 bonus for her good performance in 2013. 20. Antonio Ortiz, former director general of Training and Research Center (TRC) Ortiz reportedly left the country in September. He allegedly limited his former deputy and now TRC director general Dennis Cunanan to handling funds for the agencys projects costing no more than P1 million. 21. Dennis Cunanan, former deputy director general and now director general of TRC Cunanan said the TRC channeled P500 million in PDAF to NGOs put up by Napoles. Upon assuming office, Cunanan blacklisted 44 of the erring NGOs, including eight linked to Napoles. He is willing to be a state witness. 22. Salvador Salacup, former president of ZNAC Rubber Estate Corporation (ZREC) Salacup is now an assistant secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA). He admitted Senators Enrile, Estrada and Revilla funneled funds to NGOs through ZREC, but not to ones put up by Napoles. He also said the PDAF that was channeled through the DA subsidiary came from Congressman Valdez, which was then forwarded to the Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation Inc. Presidents of Napoles NGOs 23. Jocelyn Piorato, Agricultura Para sa Magbubukid Foundation Inc. (APMFI) 24. Nemesio Pablo Jr., Agri and Economic Program for Farmers Foundation Inc. (AEPFFI) Pablo is an Australia-based overseas Filipino worker. He has no link to the mentioned NGO, according to his cousin and pork scam whistle-blower Merlina Suñas. Suñas said Pablos name was used without his knowledge and his signatures were forged. She said she had already asked her lawyer to drop the plunder case against her cousin. 25. Mylene Encarnacion, Countrywide Agri and Rural Economic and Development Foundation Inc. (CARED) Encarnacion is no longer in the country, according to the BI. 26. John Raymund de Asis, Kaupdanan Para sa Mangunguma Foundation Inc. (KPMFI) De Asis KPMFI allegedly got P75 million from the DAR. 27. Evelyn de Leon, Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc. (PSDFI) 28. Ronald John Lim, Ginintuang Alay sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (GAMFI) Officials, employees of implementing agencies 29. Victor Cacal, NABCOR 30. Romulo Revelo, NABCOR 31. Ma. Ninez Guanizo, NABCOR 32. Julie Johnson, NABCOR 33. Rodhora Mendoza, NABCOR 34. Alexis Sevidal, NLDC 35. Sofia Cruz, NLDC 36. Chila Jalandoni, NLDC 37. Francisco Figura, TRC 38. Marivic Jover, TRC ---- OTHER NAMES IN PORK BARREL CONTROVERSY 1. Senate President Franklin Drilon Drilon, a stalwart of the Liberal Party (LP), is accused of bribing senators with additional projects after they voted to convict Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona in his impeachment trial. Drilon, who was then head of the Senate Finance Committee, denied the incident which was revealed by Estrada. Drilon was also linked to Napoles after another LP member, Rene Villa, admitted lawyering for Napoles. 2. Senator Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. Marcos, the namesake and only son of the late dictator, is alleged to have endorsed P24.25 million of his PDAF to one of Napoles bogus NGOs, Masaganang Ani Para Sa Magsasaka Foundation, Inc. (MAMFI), for supposed livelihood projects in Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental. But he denied the accusation, saying his signatures were forged. He is not among the 38 respondents facing plunder, bribery, malverstion and bribery raps before the Office of the Ombudsman. 3. Senator Loren Legarda Legarda allegedly allocated P10 million of her PDAF to the Peoples Organization for Progress and Development (POPDF), an NGO linked to Napoles, according to the 2012 annual Commission on Audit (COA) report on the towns of Dinalupihan and Pilar in Bataan. But she denied knowing the people behind the spurious NGO, adding that she has not given PDAF to any bogus foundation. She is not among the 38 respondents facing plunder, bribery, malverstion and bribery raps before the Office of the Ombudsman. 4. Senator Gregorio Gringo Honasan Honasan was dragged in the pork scam after his PDAF allegedly ended up with questionable NGOs. He allegedly gave P55 million in 2010 and P40 million in 2011 to Philippine Forest Corp. (Philforest), a corporation attached to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) which was used as a fund conduit or implementing agency. He is not among the 38 respondents facing plunder, bribery, malverstion and bribery raps before the Office of the Ombudsman. 5. Former Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Rene Villa Villa was tagged in the controversy after he admitted that he lawyered for Napoles a year after he stepped down as DAR secretary until 2010. Villa, an LP member who was appointed as Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) chairman in 2011, also admitted receiving cash and a pickup truck from Napoles, but insisted these were payments for his services as her lawyer. 6. Brian Raymund Yamsuan Yamsuan, a former consultant to Executive Secretary Paquito Jojo Ochoa, was said to have close ties with Napoles. He was allegedly indebted to the businesswoman due to his gambling losses. He also allegedly sold a condominium unit at Rockwell Center in Makati City to Napoles. 7. Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gregory Ong According to Baligod, Ong allegedly attended several parties put up by Napoles. Ong also had several meetings with Napoles while the businesswoman and her husband, retired Marine Maj. Jaime Jimmy Napoles, were facing graft and malversation charges over the irregular purchase and ghost deliveries of 500 Kevlar helmets worth P3.8 million to the military. ---- A FEW GOOD WOMEN 1. Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima De Lima is one of the so-called 3 furies heading the governments Inter-Agency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council (IAAGCC), which is tasked to probe and focus on the bigger picture of the pork barrel scam. Apart from being the chief of the DOJ, de Lima also supervises the NBI which filed plunder charges against lawmakers and other personalities involved in the pork scam. 2. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales As the head of the Office of the Ombudsman, Carpio-Morales is trying to find out whether the plunder and malversation charges against Napoles, three senators and 34 others have probable cause, so she can file a case against them. She has assured the public a speedy resolution of pork cases. 3. Commission on Audit (COA) Chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan The COA is helping the DOJ and the Ombudsman in the investigation on the P10 billion pork barrel scam. Pulido-Tan said they have already turned over their report on alleged irregularities in the use of pork barrel funds from 2007 to 2009. The report showed at least 74 lawmakers exceeded their pork barrel allocations within the period.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 18:30:37 +0000
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