If her affidavit is to be believed, suspected pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles was duped by some lawmakers and their agents, who made away with cash advances for projects that were never given to her.
In the affidavit, which she submitted to the Justice department and eventually to the Senate, Napoles claimed that there were numerous incidents where she was apparently cheated by her contacts, who either made away with her money or luxury cars that were “borrowed” from her.
She said the agents would ask for vehicles instead of cash as their “cash advance.”
Napoles, who has denied being the brain of the pork barrel scam that misused the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of senators and congressmen, was known for giving huge cash advances to lawmakers and agents. These were part of “kickbacks” or commissions from mostly bogus projects funded by the pork barrel of lawmakers.
In her affidavit, Napoles narrated 18 instances where she was cheated, including her transaction with Ruby Tuason, to whom she gave millions in exchange for a project involving the Malampaya fund.
Tuason is now a government witness in the pork barrel and Malamapaya fund scam. She returned P40mn to government, representing the amount of kickbacks she supposedly got from her illicit transactions.
Napoles claimed that Bataan Rep. Antonio Roman, through his agents Allen Ruste and a “Mayor Payumo,” got more than P2mn in cash advances. But she said the project promised to her was given to another contractor.
Also, Quezon City Rep. Nanette Daza demanded a cash advance of P3mn for a project that was eventually awarded to a different contractor. Around that time, Napoles said Daza even asked for roast beef for an event.
The late Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo also got cash advances through Tuason, according to Napoles, but the P10mn project that was supposed to be hers was “sold” by Arroyo’s chief of staff to a different contractor.