http://www.rappler.com/nation/54401-senate-recommends-plunder-case-enrile-revilla-estrada from rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines – The Senate blue ribbon committee recommended the filing of plunder charges against senators Jinggoy Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile, and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr over the multi-billion-peso pork barrel scam.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, April 1, committee chairman Teofisto “TG” Guingona III announced that his panel found sufficient basis to recommend the filing of plunder and other criminal cases against his 3 colleagues along with alleged mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.
Guingona said the committee found that the 4 players and others involved in the scam committed a conspiracy to pocket public funds.
“Natuklasan natin ang pera ng bayan, napagplanuhan, may ginawang plano, at nagkaroon ng sabwatan, pinagpasasaan ang pera. Pinagplanuhan, pinagkaisahan, pinagsasaan ang pera ng bayan,”Guingona said. (We found that public funds were the subject of a conspiracy for the players to benefit from the money. They planned, conspired and benefitted from public money.)
Among the charges Guingona recommended against the 3 senators are plunder, direct bribery, violation of the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act, fraud against the treasury, and the violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials.
For Napoles, the charges are plunder, corruption, violation of the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act, fraud against the treasury, and false testimony.
The multi-billion-peso scam is the biggest corruption scandal in recent Philippine history. The lawmakers are accused of siphoning off their pork barrel funds to Napoles’ fake non-governmental organizations in exchange for kickbacks.
Others recommended to be charged are Enrile’s former chief of staff, lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes,” Estrada’s former appointments secretary Pauline Labayen, and Revilla’s staff Richard Cambe.
The committee also recommended the filing of charges against former National Agribusiness Corporation president Alan Javellana for fraud against public treasury, and the violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials.
The panel though recommended more investigation into the liability of former members of the House of Representatives, with Guingona saying they were not summoned to the Senate probe.
Guingona recommended further investigation for Napoles’ family and friends that the whistleblowers named, Enrile’s deputy chief of staff Jose Antonio Evangelista, former ZNAC Rubber Estate Corportion (ZREC) president Salvador Salacup, former ZREC treasurer and board director Ophelia Agawin,National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC) employee Gigi Buenaventura and accounts servicing head Alexis Sevidal, and former Metrobank branch manager Winnie Villanueva, Napoles’ friend.
The committee left it up to the Ombudsman to decide on the “fitness” of granting immunity to self-confessed scam bagman Ruby Tuason and Technology Resource Center director Dennis Cunanan, who both testified before the committee.
After the press briefing, the committee gave copies of the report to the senators for their signature.
Guingona refused to answer questions from reporters, but concluded his briefing by saying, “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.” Here is a copy of the report:– Rappler.com
Written by Bizchum
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