Cast of characters in Pork Barrel Scandal (₱10 billion Pesos)
By Patrick Quintos and Kathlyn dela Cruz, ABS-CBNNews.com
Posted at 11/07/2013 12:46 AM | Updated as of 11/07/2013 12:46 AM
CAST OF CHARACTERS IN PORK BARREL SCAM
Senator Jinggoy Estrada
Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr.
Senator Juan Ponce Enrile
Senate President Franklin Drilon
Senator Loren Legarda
Senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan
Former Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Rene Villa
Brian Raymund Yamsuan
Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gregory Ong
Janet Lim Napoles
Napoles, owner of the JLN Group of Companies, is the alleged mastermind in the pork barrel scam. She is accused of conspiring with lawmakers and other government officials in funneling billions of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) she allegedly set up. She is facing plunder charges along with three senators and 34 others before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Jeane Napoles
Jeane is the daughter of the alleged mastermind in the pork barrel scam. She got flak for flaunting their lavish lifestyle on her social media accounts. Her mother gave her a Porsche Cayenne and a Porsche Boxster among others as gifts for her 21st birthday. She also owns a Ritz Carlton unit. Jeane is now facing tax evasion charges.
Atty. Lorna Kapunan
Kapunan is the former counsel for Napoles. The lawyer said she accepted Napoles as a client to get to the truth about the alleged controversy involving lawmakers' pork barrel. She resigned as Napoles' lawyer allegedly because of a difference of legal strategy with Atty. Freddie Villamor, the in-house counsel of JLN Corporation.
WHISTLEBLOWERS
Atty. Levito Baligod
Baligod is the counsel for pork scam key whistleblower Benhur Luy and the others. He is also handling the serious illegal detention case filed by Luy against Napoles and her brother, Reynald "Jojo" Lim. He earlier said Napoles had tried to bribe him with P40 million to settle the case.
1. Benhur Luy
Luy, a second cousin of Napoles, was a former personal assistant of the businesswoman in the JLN Corporation. He was allegedly detained against his will by Napoles and Lim, and was later on rescued by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to whom he spilled the beans on the scam. He claims to have digital files of Napoles' anomalous transactions from 2003 to 2010.
2. Gertrudes Luy
Gertrudes is the mother of Benhur Luy. She served as nanny for Napoles' children from 1990 until 2012. She said she was entrusted to receive bags of cash on behalf of Napoles, sometimes so huge that the money filled up Napoles' bathtub. She was named, allegedly without her knowledge, the president of one of Napoles' NGOs, Bukirin Tanglaw.
3. Merlina Pablo Suñas
Suñas was a former project coordinator for JLN Corporation. She said she helped set up bogus NGOs where lawmakers' pork barrel funds were channeled. She was the president of the fake NGO People's Organization for Progress and Development Foundation.
4. Marina Sula
Sula is a former bookkeeper of Napoles who was made president of Masaganang Ani para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. She said she was in charge of creating the NGOs by processing their papers. She also opened bank accounts for the organizations, Napoles and her children. She also listed the properties Napoles owns here and abroad, as well as those under the names of her NGOs.
5. Arlene Baltazar
Baltazar was a weekly bookkeeper of JLN Corporation in 2006. She became a regular employee in 2011. She was in charge of preparing payments for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Social Security System (SSS), and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). She was also president of a Napoles’ NGO, Tanglaw Para Sa Magsasaka Foundation.
6. Simonette Briones
Briones was the president of a Napoles’ NGO, Countrywide Agri and Rural Economic Development (CARED). She, however, denied any involvement in transactions related to the pork barrel scam.
7. Roman Briones
Briones was an incorporator of CARED.
8. Eddie Badeo
Badeo admitted coordinating with mayors on behalf of Napoles in 2006. The well-known fashion designer said he did that because he was broke that time. Badeo said he got P1 million from working with Napoles, who allegedly vowed to give him P270,000 for each mayor he gets to sign on JLN transactions.
9. Vanessa Eman
Eman was a former household help of Napoles. She was made president of Abundant Harvest for People’s Foundation Inc., one of Napoles' alleged dummy foundations.
10. Susan Victorino
Victorino was Napoles’ former accountant who handled four bogus NGOs. Her signatures were attached to external audit reports that the NGOs needed to submit to the implementing agencies of the projects funded by pork barrel funds.
11. Anabelle Luy-Reario
Luy-Reario is the sister of Benhur Luy. She claimed to have talked to her brother while he was detained by Napoles. Luy-Reario also said that Reynald Lim, Napoles’ brother, threatened to kill Luy if he would not admit doing transactions without their knowledge.
12. "Lily"
Lily (not her real name) is the daughter of Dominga Cadelina, the maid who Napoles sent to jail for alleged theft. Lily, who later became Napoles' personal assistant, said she personally saw the businesswoman meet politicians, as well as her boss' cash-filled bathtub.
38 INDIVIDUALS FACING PLUNDER, MALVERSATION RAPS OVER PORK BARREL SCAM
1. Janet Lim Napoles
Senators, congressmen
2. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile
Enrile is one of the three senators who allegedly funneled their PDAF to the NGOs. He is accused of accumulating P172.8 million in kickbacks from Napoles. His camp has denied any link to the scam, saying that he did not give his blessings to the actions taken by his former chief of staff, Atty. Gigi Reyes, with respect to his PDAF.
3. Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr.
Revilla, another senator implicated in the pork scam, allegedly accumulated the biggest kickback amounting to P224.5 million. He has admitted that the Revillas and the Napoleses know each other and sometimes meet in social gatherings. However, he has repeatedly denied any involvement in the scam, saying "I am not a thief."
4. Senator Jinggoy Estrada
Estrada is accused of plundering P183.79 million in pork barrel funds. Like Revilla, Estrada has admitted that Napoles is a friend. But he has denied involvement in the scam, saying it is not the responsibility of lawmakers but the implementing agencies to verify the existence of NGOs. He is now in the United States accompanying his wife for treatment.
5. Former Congresswoman and now Governor of Masbate Rizalina Seachon-Lanete
Seachon-Lanete allegedly earned P108.4 million in the pork barrel scam.
6. Former Congressman Edgar Valdez of the APEC Party-list
Valdez allegedly received P56 million in kickbacks from Napoles. Luy said Napoles regularly dealt with Valdez, which earned him the codename "kuryente."
7. Former Congressman Rodolfo Plaza of the lone district of Agusan del Sur
Plaza allegedly pocketed P42.1 million. He left the Philippines last September 11, the day of the "EDSA Tayo" anti-pork barrel rally, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI). He is a member of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino and is on the board of trustees of Northern Mindanao State Institute of Science & Technology.
8. Former Congressman Samuel Dangwa of the lone district of Benguet
Dangwa allegedly pocketed P26.77 million.
9. Former Congressman Constantino Jaraula of the lone district of Cagayan de Oro
Jaraula allegedly pocketed P20.8 million.
Chiefs of staff, representatives of lawmakers
10. Atty. Jessica "Gigi" Reyes, former chief of staff of Enrile
Reyes has denied any involvement in the anomaly, saying she felt betrayed by the statement of Enrile's lawyer that she went beyond the authority given to her with respect to the senator's pork barrel. She left the country for Macau last August 31, according to the BI.
11. Atty. Richard Cambe, staff of Revilla
Cambe was allegedly present at the time when Napoles got angry at Luy and detained him. Luy said Cambe was in Napoles' office to submit an endorsement letter from an unnamed senator for two project beneficiaries. He left the country in May last year, according to the BI.
12. Ruby Tuason, aide of Enrile and Estrada
Tuason, the former social secretary of former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, allegedly received kickbacks for Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile. She is also linked to the Malampaya fund scam and is accused of getting P242.775 million in kickbacks for a still unknown principal. She left the country last August 26, the day of the "Million People March" in Luneta, according to the BI. Her exact whereabouts remain unknown.
13. Pauline Labayen, former staff of Estrada
Labayen was Estrada’s former appointments secretary. She resigned on September 15 after using her two-month leave credit. She was allegedly used as a conduit for transferring the pork funds of the senators to bogus NGOs.
14. Jose Sumalpong, chief of staff of Lanete
15. Jeanette dela Cruz, district staff of Lanete
16. Erwin Dangwa, chief of staff of Dangwa
17. Carlos Lozada, staff of Dangwa
Heads of implementing agencies
18. Alan Javellana, former president of National Agribusiness Corp. (NABCOR)
Javellana admitted he met with Napoles twice in a coffee shop, but insisted that it was just to brief her about the operations of NABCOR since she was a prospective investor. He said he was only fooled by fake NGOs who got millions of pesos from the pork barrel funds of lawmakers.
19. Gondelina Amata, president of National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC)
Amata denied her involvement in the pork barrel scam. She said that the NLDC is constantly monitoring the pork barrel funds that were disbursed through them. Benhur Luy said seven NGOs linked to Napoles got money from NLDC. Amata reportedly received P342,000 bonus for her good performance in 2013.
20. Antonio Ortiz, former director general of Training and Research Center (TRC)
Ortiz reportedly left the country in September. He allegedly limited his former deputy and now TRC director general Dennis Cunanan to handling funds for the agency's projects costing no more than P1 million.
21. Dennis Cunanan, former deputy director general and now director general of TRC
Cunanan said the TRC channeled P500 million in PDAF to NGOs put up by Napoles. Upon assuming office, Cunanan blacklisted 44 of the erring NGOs, including eight linked to Napoles. He is willing to be a state witness.
22. Salvador Salacup, former president of ZNAC Rubber Estate Corporation (ZREC)
Salacup is now an assistant secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA). He admitted Senators Enrile, Estrada and Revilla funneled funds to NGOs through ZREC, but not to ones put up by Napoles. He also said the PDAF that was channeled through the DA subsidiary came from Congressman Valdez, which was then forwarded to the Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation Inc.
Presidents of Napoles NGOs
23. Jocelyn Piorato, Agricultura Para sa Magbubukid Foundation Inc. (APMFI)
24. Nemesio Pablo Jr., Agri and Economic Program for Farmers Foundation Inc. (AEPFFI)
Pablo is an Australia-based overseas Filipino worker. He has no link to the mentioned NGO, according to his cousin and pork scam whistle-blower Merlina Suñas. Suñas said Pablo's name was used without his knowledge and his signatures were forged. She said she had already asked her lawyer to drop the plunder case against her cousin.
25. Mylene Encarnacion, Countrywide Agri and Rural Economic and Development Foundation Inc. (CARED)
Encarnacion is no longer in the country, according to the BI.
26. John Raymund de Asis, Kaupdanan Para sa Mangunguma Foundation Inc. (KPMFI)
De Asis' KPMFI allegedly got P75 million from the DAR.
27. Evelyn de Leon, Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc. (PSDFI)
28. Ronald John Lim, Ginintuang Alay sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (GAMFI)
Officials, employees of implementing agencies
29. Victor Cacal, NABCOR
30. Romulo Revelo, NABCOR
31. Ma. Ninez Guanizo, NABCOR
32. Julie Johnson, NABCOR
33. Rodhora Mendoza, NABCOR
34. Alexis Sevidal, NLDC
35. Sofia Cruz, NLDC
36. Chila Jalandoni, NLDC
37. Francisco Figura, TRC
38. Marivic Jover, TRC
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OTHER NAMES IN PORK BARREL CONTROVERSY
1. Senate President Franklin Drilon
Drilon, a stalwart of the Liberal Party (LP), is accused of bribing senators with additional projects after they voted to convict Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona in his impeachment trial. Drilon, who was then head of the Senate Finance Committee, denied the incident which was revealed by Estrada. Drilon was also linked to Napoles after another LP member, Rene Villa, admitted lawyering for Napoles.
2. Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
Marcos, the namesake and only son of the late dictator, is alleged to have endorsed P24.25 million of his PDAF to one of Napoles' bogus NGOs, Masaganang Ani Para Sa Magsasaka Foundation, Inc. (MAMFI), for supposed livelihood projects in Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental. But he denied the accusation, saying his signatures were forged. He is not among the 38 respondents facing plunder, bribery, malverstion and bribery raps before the Office of the Ombudsman.
3. Senator Loren Legarda
Legarda allegedly allocated P10 million of her PDAF to the People's Organization for Progress and Development (POPDF), an NGO linked to Napoles, according to the 2012 annual Commission on Audit (COA) report on the towns of Dinalupihan and Pilar in Bataan. But she denied knowing the people behind the spurious NGO, adding that she has not given PDAF to any bogus foundation. She is not among the 38 respondents facing plunder, bribery, malverstion and bribery raps before the Office of the Ombudsman.
4. Senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan
Honasan was dragged in the pork scam after his PDAF allegedly ended up with questionable NGOs. He allegedly gave P55 million in 2010 and P40 million in 2011 to Philippine Forest Corp. (Philforest), a corporation attached to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) which was used as a fund conduit or implementing agency. He is not among the 38 respondents facing plunder, bribery, malverstion and bribery raps before the Office of the Ombudsman.
5. Former Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Rene Villa
Villa was tagged in the controversy after he admitted that he lawyered for Napoles a year after he stepped down as DAR secretary until 2010. Villa, an LP member who was appointed as Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) chairman in 2011, also admitted receiving cash and a pickup truck from Napoles, but insisted these were payments for his services as her lawyer.
6. Brian Raymund Yamsuan
Yamsuan, a former consultant to Executive Secretary Paquito "Jojo" Ochoa, was said to have close ties with Napoles. He was allegedly indebted to the businesswoman due to his gambling losses. He also allegedly sold a condominium unit at Rockwell Center in Makati City to Napoles.
7. Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gregory Ong
According to Baligod, Ong allegedly attended several parties put up by Napoles. Ong also had several meetings with Napoles while the businesswoman and her husband, retired Marine Maj. Jaime "Jimmy" Napoles, were facing graft and malversation charges over the irregular purchase and ghost deliveries of 500 Kevlar helmets worth P3.8 million to the military.
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A FEW GOOD WOMEN
1. Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima
De Lima is one of the so-called "3 furies" heading the government's Inter-Agency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council (IAAGCC), which is tasked to probe and focus on the bigger picture of the pork barrel scam. Apart from being the chief of the DOJ, de Lima also supervises the NBI which filed plunder charges against lawmakers and other personalities involved in the pork scam.
2. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales
As the head of the Office of the Ombudsman, Carpio-Morales is trying to find out whether the plunder and malversation charges against Napoles, three senators and 34 others have probable cause, so she can file a case against them. She has assured the public a speedy resolution of pork cases.
3. Commission on Audit (COA) Chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan
The COA is helping the DOJ and the Ombudsman in the investigation on the P10 billion pork barrel scam. Pulido-Tan said they have already turned over their report on alleged irregularities in the use of pork barrel funds from 2007 to 2009. The report showed at least 74 lawmakers exceeded their pork barrel allocations within the period.
