Some P6.156-billion pork barrel from close to 200 lawmakers went to 82 mostly dubious non-government organizations (NGOs) from 2007 to 2009, including 10 linked to controversial businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the head of the Commission on Audit (COA) bared Friday.
At a press conference, COA chief Maria Gracia Pulido-Tan said many of these NGOs had dubious addresses, with some traced to shanties or were actually home addresses of some members.
Tan also said that based on the special audit conducted by the commission in 2010 covering the years from 2007 to 2009, several lawmakers received pork barrel beyond their respective allocations of P70 million per year.
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Citing the contents of the report, Tan said the legislators and the government agencies that released funds to the NGOs did not bother to check on the capability of the NGO to implement a project.
“Yung mga ahensiya, they simply turned around... binigay sa NGO yung livelihood project. They simply turned around and transferred the funds to the NGOs identified or selected by the legislator,” she said, adding this runs contrary to a resolution of the Government Procurement and Policy Board.
The agencies included in the audit were Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Works and Highways, and Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Tan explained that funds may be transferred to NGO for implementation when there is an appropriation or ordinance.
“Kailangan merong ordinansa na nagbibigay authority na pwedeng i-transfer ng implementing agency ang pondo sa isang NGO. Neither agency can point to us an ordinance, wala rin naman po nakapagturo na may legal authority through an appropriation or ordinance na naga-allow sa kanila na i-transfer ang mga pondo na 'yun sa mga NGO,” she said.
Tan also pointed out that the NGOs were not selected through competitive bidding as also required by the resolution. “Ang mga ahensiya they merely rely on the endorsement of the leiglslators some of whom (later) denied their participation or signature in the documents that we showed them.”
The briefing was held amid the controversy involving the alleged misuse of pork barrel funds that centers on Napoles, who is currently in hiding after she and her brother were ordered arrested for a serious illegal detention case.
Napoles was accused of diverting some P10 billion government funds to her account through her NGOs. Two of her former employees, Benhur Luy and Merlina Suñas, had implicated her in the supposed scam.
Luy, who claimed he was in the employ of Napoles for 10 years, alleged in a sworn affidavit that the modus operandi includes a 70-30 sharing scheme, with the legislator getting 70 percent while she keeps 30 percent.
