Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., and Jinggoy Estrada have been accused of plunder, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima announced on Monday afternoon, joining controversial businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles and 34 other individuals in an "initial batch" of people accused of conspiring to defraud the Filipino people of billions of pesos in public funds.
Also accused of plunder were former Masbate 3rd District Rep. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete and former APEC party-list Rep. Edgar Valdez.
Accused, meanwhile, of malversation of public funds were former Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza, former Benguet Rep. Samuel Dangwa and former Cagayan de Oro Rep. Constantino Jaraula.
The justice secretary said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has compiled evidence to prove that the legislators all received kickbacks in a grand scheme devised and orchestrated by Napoles.
What differentiated those accused of plunder from those facing malversation charges, De Lima said, was simply the amount of funds and kickbacks involved. Under the law, plunder charges require a minimum plundered amount of P50 million.
In all, De Lima said the initial batch of respondents named in the Napoles case names 38 people. Napoles was tagged as the "mastermind" and "co-conspirator" in the plunder and malversation cases. Two former congressmen were also included among those accused of plunder.
The respondents include 8 former or current chiefs of staffs and staff members of the legislators, six presidents of the allegedly bogus NGOs set up by Napoles, and a handful of officials of government-owned corporations and agencies.
The Ombudsman is now tasked with looking into the charges and determining whether there is sufficient basis to proceed with a preliminary investigation into the matter.
Mixed emotions on D-Day
Before noon of Monday after she attended Holy Mass with lawyers and witnesses in the pork barrel scam at the NBI chapel Monday morning, de Lima admitted having mixed feelings about D-Day for the filing of the first complaints based on testimonies of the whistleblowers against Janet Lim
"Sadness, a sense of triumph, but also anxiety," is how she characterized her sentiments as the Justice Department and NBI prepared for the first step of what experts predict would be a long, difficult journey through the legal process.
"Finally.. we are filing the first batch of this case. Besides the fact that so many people are awaiting this, perhaps this also be considered a very historic case filing," de Lima told reporters.
She admitted that at first, she could never imagine how they will be able to rise to such an enormous challenge--but, having seen the commitment of the whistle blowers and the lawyers, she is no longer surprised that they got this far.
Still, like most legal experts she warned against unduly raising expectations about the quickness of the process. It is but the first step; however, they are decided to see this through the end in order to bring to justice those who committed grave crimes against the people.
"Nung simula hindi namen alam kung kakayanin namen ito, pero eto na, ibig sabihin ginabayan tayo ng Maykapal [When we began, I couldn't imagine how we can make it. But here we are, so I guess we received divine guidance]," De Lima said.
She thanked the whistleblowers, "without whom none of this would have been possible."
Ten whistleblowers led by Benhur Luy and his mother Gertrudes were at the Holy Mass. During Mass, the officiating priest reminded the whistleblowers that many people are looking to them for deliverance and justice, and only want the truth from them.
She thanked the whistleblowers, "without whom none of this would have been possible."
Ten whistleblowers led by Benhur Luy and his mother Gertrudes were at the Holy Mass. During Mass, the officiating priest reminded the whistleblowers that many people are looking to them for deliverance and justice, and only want the truth from them.
"This mass is to tell them that there are many of us praying for them... make them feel that the Filipino people, silently, are praying for them," said officials.
Some whistleblowers could not hold back their tears during the mass.
