DPA/Manila
Philippine state investigators yesterday sought charges against three senior senators and two former lawmakers for allegedly embezzling more than $1mn via a scam that misused a congressional fund.
A charge of plunder was also filed against businesswoman Janet Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the scam to divert money from the congressional fund to non-existent organisations and projects.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the National Bureau of Investigation was also seeking charges of malversation, bribery and graft against three other former lawmakers and 29 government employees and cohorts of Napoles.
“This is just the first batch of cases,” de Lima said.
The three senators being charged with plunder or large-scale corruption are Juan Ponce Enrile, a former senate president and former defence minister; Ramon Revilla Jr, a popular movie actor and Jose ‘Jinggoy’ Estrada, a former actor and son of former president Joseph Estrada.
The two former members of the House of Represenatives that are also being charged with plunder, which is punishable by life imprisonment are Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, now a provincial governor, and Edgar Valdez, a former party-list representative.
De Lima said the five legislators have “each accumulated more than 50mn pesos ($1.14mn)” by receiving kickbacks from Napoles as well as misappropriating the cash value of the project cost allocated to them from the fund.
According to a state audit report, about 10bn pesos of the fund that is popularly referred to as the “pork barrel” were funnelled to non-existent projects and organisations — including at least 10 fake foundations set up by Napoles — from 2007-09.
The scandal has triggered public outrage and demands for more action to purge government of deep-seated corruption in the Philippines, where a third of the population lives on $1 (44 pesos) or less a day.
Communication Secretary Ramon Caradang said more charges were expected to be filed amid continuing investigations. He assured all accused that they would be given a fair and impartial trial.