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Tupas charged over P5M ‘pork scam’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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MANILA – The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the filing of graft and malversation charges against former Iloilo congressman Niel “Jun-jun” Tupas Jr. over the alleged misuse of P5 million in pork barrel funds in 2008.
Tupas faces two counts of graft, one count of malversation, and one count of malversation thru falsification of public documents. He represented Iloilo’s 5th District for three consecutive terms from 2007 to 2016.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said the former congressman, in a letter dated May 15, 2008, requested the release of P5 million of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to the National Agri-Business Corp. (NABCOR) for the purchase of farm equipment and seedlings.
NABCOR was an attached corporation of the Department of Agriculture.
The Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation, Inc. (KKAMFI), a non-governmental organization (NGO) partner, was recommended by Tupas as project implementor.
In its investigation, the Ombudsman found that Tupas’ pork barrel funds were funneled to “ghost projects” as mayors from the municipalities of Ajuy, Batad, Estancia, Lemery, San Raael, and Sara said they never received any farm implements.
The liquidation documents submitted were all fabricated, with Tupas himself signing the alleged list of beneficiaries of equipment and seedlings from his district, according to Carpio-Morales.
The Ombudsman said in its resolution that “to be able to repeatedly release substantial funds from the PDAF, access thereto must be made available, and this was made possible by Tupas Jr. who directly chose and endorsed his own NGO to implement his PDAF-related projects.”
Tupas himself issued the requisite endorsement letters and similar documentation addressed to the Department of Agriculture and NABCOR, “acts which were necessary to ensure that the chosen NGO would be awarded the project,” added the Ombudsman.
“The evident misuse of the PDAF allocations through fictitious or non-existent projects should render respondents liable for malversation,” read part of the Ombudsman resolution.
Also charged with misappropriation of public funds were Alan Javellana, Rhodora Mendoza, Romulo Relevo, Ma. Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, all from NABCOR, and Marilou Antonio, project coordinator of KKAMFI.
SIGNATURE FORGED?
Tupas denied scamming his pork barrel.
“I am very surprised by the resolution of the Ombudsman. From the very beginning I took positive steps to alert the Commission on Audit (COA) and the government agencies concerned when I received information that spurious documents allegedly containing my signature were being used to facilitate the release of government funds,” he told Panay News.
Tupas said he also asked the government agency concerned to withhold the release of funds.
“In fact, some of the funds were returned to the national treasury because of my letter complaint,” he stressed.
Tupas said he has yet to receive a copy of the Ombudsman resolution.
“But I will ask my lawyers to file a motion for reconsideration and I hope the Ombudsman will see the light,” he said.
In an interview in 2013 when his name was being implicated in the pork barrel scandal, Tupas claimed writing the Department of Agriculture (DA) “to stop the implementation of the project and to withhold payment. I took the necessary steps at the earliest possible time to make sure that no part of the PDAF will be misused by any agency.”
It was labor group Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) that urged the Ombudsman in 2013 to investigate Tupas and other allies of then President Benigno Aquino III who were allegedly involved in the PDAF scam but were not included in the first batch of cases filed.
BMP claimed that a group, identified only as “Godofredo Roque Group”, siphoned more than half a billion pesos of lawmakers’ PDAF. The group, like the much publicized “pork barrel” scam blamed on businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, also allegedly makes use of its own NGO to pocket “pork barrel” funds.
The projects were “ghost” projects, BMP said.
It pointed out that on pages 54 to 59 of COA Report, Special Audit No. 2012-2013 Tupas endorsed KKAMFI and Kaisa’t Kaagapay Mo Foundation, Inc. (KMMFI), supposed NGOs of the Godofredo Roque Group, as recipients of his PDAF.
“Mula 2007 hanggang 2009, naglaan ng P17,490,000 si Rep. Tupas para sa mga proyekto ng NABCOR at ng National Livelihood Development Corp. (NLDC). Sa panahong iyon, sinulatan niya sina Alan Javellana, pangulo ng NABCOR, at Gondoline G. Amata, pangulo ng NLDC, at iniutos sa kanila na ang tagapamahala ng mga perang inilaan mula sa PDAF ay ang KKAMFI. Ang KKAMFI ay isang NGO sa ilalim ng isang Godofredo Roque, na siyang nakalikom ng P1 bilyong piso mula sa PDAF.
Roque’s alleged NGOs were assigned 175 projects with a total cost of P1.4 billion from 2007 to 2009, BMP said.
“Sa pamamagitan ng mga kongresista tulad ni Tupas, inutusan ang NABCOR at NLDC upang ilagay ang pondong kanilang natanggap mula sa PDAF sa bulsa ng mga taong bumubuo ng Roque group,” according to BMP.
“Ang pinakamalaking NGO sa grupong ito, na pinamumunuan ni Roque, ay ang [KKAMFI], na nakakuha ng P526.7 milyong dulot ng 74 na proyekto. Nang mailipat na ang pera sa Roque group, sila’y gumagamit na ng mga kontratista na sila-sila rin ang may-ari para lubus-lubusan na ang kanilang pagsimot sa kaban ng bayan,” the letter-complaint read./PN
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