Now that the Ombudsman has approved the resolution to file plunder charges against those involved in the malversation of the Priority Development Assistance Fund, it looks like Senators Juan Ponce-Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla would be observing their Holy Week in jail.
It is reported that Revilla and his family are in Holy Land to seek for “divine intervention.” Let’s see if his wish would be granted.
The accused will be given time to submit a motion for reconsideration, after which the Ombudsman will file the Information with the Sandiganbayan. The graft court will determine whether there’s a basis for the case to proceed.
The Sandiganbayan has 10 days after receipt of the Information to issue a warrant of arrest.
In a briefing, Ombudsman Spokesperson Asryman Rafanan they “found probable cause to indict Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, as well as Janet Lim Napoles, and a number of government employees and non-government organizations offices with plunder punishable under RA 7080 as amended and violation of section 3E of Republic Act 3019 or the anti-graft and corrupt practices act in connection to the pork scam.”
On the charges for Plunder, Rafanan said “the Joint Resolutions concluded that the three Senators took undue advantage of their official position to illegally divert , in connivance with certain respondents, their respective PDAF allocations to the Napoles NGOs, in exchange for kickbacks/commission amounting to more than P172 million ,P242million ndP183 million in the case of Senators Enrile, Revilla and Estrada, respectively, with the PDAF funded projects turning out to be “ghost” projects, under a modus operandi of a combination and series of overt criminal acts repeatedly taking place over a number of years.”
The crime of Plunder under RA 7080 is punishable by reclusion perpetua (to death), and forfeiture of the ill-gotten wealth in favor of the government.
In the Ombudsman resolutions, it showed that Revilla got the largest kickback in the amount of P224, 512,00 out of the P517,000,000 PDAF that was released to him.
Estrada was the second topnotcher with P183,793,750 kickbacks from his P480,000,650 pork barrel.
Ombudsman’s investigations showed that P172, 834,500 out of the P345, 000,000 PDAF released to Enrile went to kickbacks and commissions.
On the charges for violations of Section 3(e) of R.A. 3019, the Joint Resolutions uniformly found that the sets of respondents conspired in causing undue injury to the government in the amounts of P345 million, P517 million and P278 million from the PDAF of Senators Enrile, Revilla and Estrada, respectively, by receiving, in evident bad faith, kickbacks or portions of the diverted amount, and by being manifestly partial in the selection of the Napoles NGOs and the conduit Implementing Agencies (IAs), which resulted in unwarranted benefit, preference or advantage to the Napoles NGOs which were chosen without the benefit of public bidding and which supposed turned out to be “ghost” projects.
Estrada and Revilla issued statements denying the accusations adding that they were not surprised by the Ombudsman’s decision. Enrile, as of presstime, has not issued a reaction.
Enrile’s chief of staff of Enrile, Gigi Reyes, Estrada’s Pauline Labayen, and Revilla’s Richard Cambe were included among the respondents.
Included also are Ruby Tuason, former social secretary of President Estrada who acted as broker in the Malampaya and PDAF scams and Dennis Cunanan, director-general (on leave) of the Technology Resource Center , which was used as conduit for the release of PDAF to ghost non=government organizations and projects.
Tuason and Cunanan have applied to be state witnesses.
The number of the respondents shows how extensive the scam’s network. The cases against the three senators and their cohorts in the PDAF scam demonstrate that the law does not distinguish the offenders social and political status.
These are just the first batch of charges. More to come.
My first question is where’s the whistle blower Tuason? She was allowed to leave for the US to raise P40M to be paid back to the government, but she has not returned to the country until this day. Then, Jinggoy is reportedly now in the US (to meet her?). In the meantime, Bong is in Israel. Maybe the two got hold of Ombudsman’s approval of the plunder raps recommended by the Senate Committee. They won’t spend Holy Week in prison because they’re not returning until after Holy Week and they may not return at all until after 2016 when Binay is the new President. What about Enrile? He’s too old to travel far distance.
Mandaram-Bong ang mandarambang wife are in Holy Land praying for divine guidance. Nyahahahaha!
Ano kaya difference between sa dasal sa loob ng bahay o simbahan sa Pinas at Holy Land sa Israel? Isa lang kita ko, ang ginagastos nila na pasahe eroplano, shopping, kain at hotel ay galing sa katas ng PDAF na pera ng tax payers.
Palagi nasa YUIS si Jinggoy, sino ba binibisita niya? Pati sakit ng asawa idinadahilan.
Goodbye lolo Juan, may you be at peace in your twilight age.
Hope everyone involved in the pork scam will be punished, no one will be left out. Tuazon and Cunanan should be charged, too, and not admitted as state witnesses. They did not provide anything shocking to pin down the three kings and cohorts, they (or de Lima) just copied from the documents provided by Benhur. Ikulong din sila!
Ang balik ng mga plunderers ay 2016 na kung wala na Pnoy at si Binay na ang President. Ngayon pa lang panay ang distansiya ni Binay sa mga Estradas para hindi masira ang pagtakbo niya ng presidency. Si Jinggoy, sanany na sanay na dyan. Kung hindi sana inabswelto ni bansot si Estrada noon, baka itong si Jinggoy eh natakot mag-plunder. Kaya lang, si Erap na nag-plunder kuno eh nanalo pa ulit na Mayor. Baka pagkatapos ng plunder case ni Jinggoy eh siya ang susunod na Presidente at ang vice niya eh si Revilla. OMG kawawa talaga ang pinas. Crooks are lording over. Nag-iisa lang si Pnoy na gustong magkulong ng mga magnanakaw.
Maraming salamat sa ating magiting at independent na Ombudsman. Tunay na hindi kayo nagpatakot sa mga walanghiyang senatongs na yan. Samantala, ang suggestion ko kina Estrada, Revilla at Enrile ay magbitiw na kayo sa Senado dahil kahiyahiya naman na nandyan pa kayo. Kung puwede nga ay magbitiw na rin kayo bilang buhay na tao upang mapakinabangan naman kayo ng ibang nilalang six feet under the ground.
#4, dapat noon pa, ngayon pa sila bitiw. Hindi nila kayang gawin ung ginawa ni Biazon sa Customs. Biazon manned up on the charges and resigned outright because of delicadeza.
Wala kasi ni katiting na hiya at delicadeza. Inaasahan ko sa media na paigtingin ang pressure sa mga senatongs na ito na magbitiw na sa puwesto. Maawa naman tayo sa ating bayan at bigyan natin ng magandang ehemplo ang mga kabataan at mga susunod na henerasyon. To Estrada, Enrile and Revilla: RESIGN NOW!
The Senate should have suspended the Three Senators pending the final outcome of their cases and why not? Three of our Senators, who were alleged to have committed corruption related crimes (claiming illegal housing and travel expense) were suspended by their peers without pay long before the RCMP laid the Charges in the Court of Law…and the beauty of it all there were not much of Media speculation but just the old fashion Police works that put them in…
Due to courtesy to colleagues, the Senate would not suspend the senators. The decision is up to the senators. But knowing the kind of politicians and government officials we have, very few if not no one resigned. In other counties, mere implication makes a politician or official to resign. But this is the Philippines.
I salute the Ombudsman for doing its job. The evidences were so strong that further delay would make the Ombudsman suspect. I understand this would still go to Sandiganbayan.
Wala akong kinakampihan pero sa tingin ko ay bakit nauna pa na makasuhan ang mga Sirators na ito kesa kay Pandak and ibang corrupts na official at militar. Bakit sila nakasuhan agad. Samantala si pandak ay hanggang ngayon ay di pa umuusad ang kaso at di pa dinidinig sa korte.
Kaya di rin ako bilib sa mga Ombudsman na ito. Dapat ipakulong na ang iba at isunod itong mga Sirators na corrupt. Hindi iyun parang kangaroo talon ng talon at di pa natatapos ang isang kaso.
Pakulong sila kahit isang malaking isda at saka ako bibilib sa mga Ombudsman na ito.
maraming magnanakaw na naka upo sa gobyerno natin at ang iba ay naka toga pa.
#9 I do share your opinion. The Pork Barrel scams, Delfin Lee’s housing scam and most other scams happened during GMA’s nine year term. There are fingerprints of Gloria and Mike in all the scams.
The accused senators have other legal remedies including filing “Motion of Recommendation”. Ombudsman could still dismiss it. If it goes to Sandiganbayan, it could also be dismissed. Therefore, it’s difficult to predict what the outcome of the cases would be. These accused have the best lawyers at their disposal.
Correction to #10: Motion of Reconsideration
Kasi nga mahina ang Presidente natin kaya mahina rin ang mga galamay.
OO totoo di si Pnoy magnanakaw pero ang naka paligid at mga advisers niya ay halos marami sa kanila ang may ginagawang kababalaghan. Di ganoon rin imbis na pa akyat tayo at pababa pa rin ang pinupuntahan natin.
Pnoy might be clean just like his late mother; but he also condones his men’s wrong doings. During the time of Cory, she condoned her brother Peping’s corruption, head if then notorious Kamag-anak Inc.
we should rejoice that these cases have been brought against these thieving legislators. under a different president, like binay or estrada or gma, this thing would not happen at all. good presidents do good deeds, they don’t steal. cory and pnoy were the prime examples.
kapag umulan ng grasya, kahit taong natutulog siguradong maaambunan. kapag sumabog ang karma, maging ‘yung mga nagbabanal banalan ay walang maaaring pagtaguan!
kung tunay na lalaki ang tatlong ‘yan (bong, jinggoy at ingkong juan), aba’y leave of absensce sila sa senado at harapin lahat ang kaso. walang motion-motion for reconsideration at walang privilege ispits.
tama na pakapalan ng mukha!
“…….aba’y mag-leave of absence sila sa senado……”
How come you will be rejoice eh. Ni isa ay wala pang nakukulong. Starting kay Pandak walang nangyari pa. Kay SC Justine Corona natanggal lang at alam rin natin nag lagay si Pnoy sa mga SERATORS. Malinis ba iyun. Ni isang singko ay wala pa silang nababawi sa mga ninakaw. Matutuwa ka ba?
Yeah,Pnoy is not magnanakaw? pero di rin natin alam kung di nga siya nagnakaw. Bka pag dating ng panahon ay may baho na lalabas diyan.
Sa akin ay di pa ako natutuwa.. Ngisi lang at hiling ng ulo dahil wala pang nangyayari sa lahat ng mga pinag gagawa ng gobyerno ni Pnoy.
It is reported that R evil la and his family are in Holy Land to seek for “divine intervention.”
Sa palagay ko kaya nasa Holy Land ang R evil la family ay para i temp ang mabubuting tao na nasa Holy Land na gumawa ng masama. Katulad ng ginawa ni satanas…temptation of Jesus Christ.
#18 He’s a hypocrite like many of those who claim to believe in God. I’d like to tell him that even the Devil believes in God and trembles.
Off Topic. This one if for Vic to thank what Canada has done for the Yolanda victims:
MANILA, Philippines—The Canadian government has announced an initial allocation of 50 million Canadian dollars (P2.046 billion) to support recovery programs across Eastern Visayas as part of a counterpart fund to match more than C$85 million (P3.5 billion) Canadians had raised through a public appeal shortly after Super Typhoon Yolanda.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the Canadian government would fulfill its promise “to match every eligible dollar” that individual Canadians had donated to registered Canadian charities between Nov. 9 and Dec. 23 last year.
Mannie at 20…you are all welcome…that matching program is a very laudable act of the Federal government beside from its direct donation..and besides there were also contributions and donations that did not go through the Registered Charitable organization that were raised by Filipino Communities for their own specific towns and villages…we are always been proud to be compassionate and kind and Generous…and thank you for the acknowledgement…
Bong Revilla is currently in Holy Land while Jinggoy is in California. Bong is there in Israel to pray while Jinggoy claims he hurt his knee in a basketball game and needs to see his doctor. Once liars, always liars. What about Enrile? He’s cooking up something with Honasan. Watch out.
There is Truth to the phrase that great political leaders leave this earth in shocking ways and mostly in their prime and young lives.. Jessie Robredo is one very good example.. My Bib’s Lolo Monching (Magsaysay ) is another.. And yesterday , Canada beloved former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty who quit 3 weeks ago due to health issue shocked the Nation when his sudden deathHeart attack was announced by the PM to the Nation with the message from his family. he served all of PM Harper 8 years government as Finance Minister, served as Provincial Finance minister of Ontario, respected and admired by his party mates and oppositions alike and the Finance ministers of G20 as he lead the group during the latest recession…
The. Country’ as a show of respect to his wife , a Member of the Provincial Parliament and Triplet Sons , will suspend all govt business for two weeks and mourn the passing of one of its great “politicians”. Jim Flaherty, the proud Irishman and a great Canadian.
Do you know how Flaherty died and what kind of illness he had? I think he was only 65 or 66 years old. It was he who restored Canada’s economy growth from slump.
Mannie he died of heart attack. He was suffering from some form of skin disorder that was treated with steroid that was he looked bloated sometimes but that was not life threatening. he was planning to return to Law Practice after preparing a Budget that will return to get Balanced by Next year after sustaining a few years deficit to recover from economic Slowdown must remember that the Feds was going on an 11 years Surplus from the Time of Finance Minister Paul Martin of the Chrétien Liberals and was interrupted by the Global recession and Jim Flaherty guided the country out of it without a single Financial institution going under. And also reduced the taxes including the GST (eVat ) by 2 % from 7%.
He was 64 years old. Good old ye Irishman. He served us well..
Ilang taon kaya nila ginamityung Napoles facial cream?
Wala ng mga pakiramdam sa kakapalan at katigasan ng mukha ang mga ito.
May pumunta pa ng Holy Land.
Nagdasal siguro na huwag kumanta si Napoles o mamatay na sana ang mga whistle blowers?