Janet Lim Napoles, the Filipino businesswoman who allegedly masterminded the pork barrel scam, knew of the release of the Malampaya Fund three months ahead, according to scam whistleblower Benhur Luy.
Luy said Napoles called a meeting of her staff in JLN Corporation in Pasig City on July 2009 because she said she had a new funding source, which turned out to be the Malampaya Fund.
The Malampaya Fund was generated through royalties from a gas projected off the western coast of Palawan island during the administration of then-President and current Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Rep. Arroyo authorized the release of Php900 million from the fund for disaster relief and rehabilitation following the destruction brought by tropical storms “Ondoy” and “Pepeng”.
The fund was channeled through the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to various bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) set up by Napoles.
Present at the meeting, Luy said, were himself, Napoles, fellow whistleblower Merlina Suñas, Evelyn de Leon, and Napoles’ brother Ronald Lim.
Napoles allegedly told them that her contacts within DAR were then-Secretary Nasser Pangandaman and then-Undersecretary Narciso Nieto, who requested the release of the funds to the NGOs.
Luy and Suñas said none of the projects were delivered, signatures were forged, and recipient lists were faked.
“No delivery was ever made, all the receipts were manufactured for the liquidation of the funds,” Suñas said.
Suñas said all funds directed to the NGOs were redirected to Napoles.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is currently amassing evidence for the plunder case that the agency plans to submit to the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday.
She said the cases against department heads and other respondents were delayed by a day due to the ongoing hearing for Napoles’ bail at the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150.
(with reports from The Philippine Inquirer and The Philippine Star)