NBI witness names more in PDAF

NBI witness names Cayetanos, Legarda, Biazon, ex-senators in pork scam probe

• Written by  Alvin Murcia 
• Wednesday, 11 November 2015 00:00
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Names of other senators, former and incumbent, who were listed by the Commission on Audit (CoA) special audit report on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) were bared by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) witness during a Sandiganbayan bail hearing yesterday, with the witness telling the court that these senators are currently being investigated in connection with the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
The pork barrel scam which was allegedly masterminded by trader Janet Lim Napoles resulted in the detention of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and others who have allegedly participated in the multibillion-scam.
Yesterday, NBI agent Rodante Berou, chief of the NBI Special Operations Group, disclosed before the Fourth Division of the Sandiganbayan that there are other personalities they are investigating with regard to the alleged misuse of their PDAF or pork barrel.
The witness named incumbent Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Gringo Honasan, Loren Legarda and Lito Lapid as well as former Senators Rodolfo Biazon, Richard Gordon and Ramon Magsaysay, among others.
Cayetano is running for vice president in the 2016 elections, Gordon is seeking to return in the Senate and Lapid who was indicted for graft in connection with the fertilizer fund scam when he was still a governor of his province, is seeking his old post in Pampanga. Berou disclosed that aside from the former and incumbent lawmakers who are already facing cases before the Sandiganbayan as well as those who are currently facing investigation before the Office of the Ombudsman, about 10 more lawmakers are being investigated at the NBI level for possible involvement in the multi-billion peso pork anomaly.

The wife of Budget Secretary Florencio Abad incumbent Batanes Rep. Henedina Abad is already being investigated by the NBI, the witness claimed.
The prosecution presented Berou at the bail hearing of former Masbate Representative and current Masbate Gov. Rizalina Seachon-Lañete who is facing plunder charges in connection with her alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.
Berou said the names of these lawmakers appeared in the CoA special audit report on the use of PDAF of several lawmakers from 2007 to 2009.
The investigation being done by the NBI was based on the special audit report of the CoA, saying that the lawmakers have possible anomalous transactions with regard to the implementation of projects funded by the respective PDAF.
Berou said the names of the lawmakers were not included in the complaint earlier filed by the Department of Justice (DoJ) at the Office of the Ombudsman because the bureau is still gathering additional information from their superiors.
He admitted, however, that the NBI investigating team members were already promoted to other positions of the NBI and that he is no longer privy as to the status of the investigation.
But Berou said that matter was given to another team which will continue investigate the cases of the named lawmakers.

Witness admits NBI probe focused only on Napoles NGOs
Berou also admitted that the NBI investigations focused only on the investigations related to Napoles NGOs, and that only eight NGOs have been involved in the cases elevated to the Sandiganbayan.
“There are many more legislators involved in the said transactions. Not only on the NGOs identifed with Napoles. What they (NBI) have been probing were the legislators whom Benhur Luy, the principal government witness were all from Mrs. Napoles. This is why Napoles’ counsel Stephen David asked the NBI the other NGOs and the congressmen and senators were not investigated.
There were many others named in the CoA report, such as former Tesda chief Joel Villanueva and the NBI witness said the Secretary of Justice (Leila de Lima) only directed their team to investigate Napoles-related NGOs. “We got the directive from the high grounds. We have a protocol to follow,” the NBI agent said.
Berou said, the legislator with the highest “amount of PDAF realized and commission” were first to be investigated.
The NBI Special Task Force is no longer investigating the PDAF scam after the government created an interagency team for a government wide investigation on PDAF anomalies.

Prosecutor tries to fix damage 
In an earlier bail hearing of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Prosecutor Hazel Valdez, tried to correct the damage wrought by the defense witness to the prosecution case who had testified Monday on the CCTV clips showing the instances of state witness Ruby Tuason’s visits to the Senate offices of Senator Estrada without carrying any duffel bag or Harrod’s shopping bag she claimed were filled with cash she delivered to Estrada, and whose dates she testified on her visits to the accused senator failed to match the CCTV footage on those dates.
The prosecutor attempted to squeeze information from the defense witness Jemma H. Seccuan, section chief at the Office of the Sergeant at-Arms during the continuation of the bail petition of Senator Estrada.
Valdez asked Saccuan if she was present during the actual review of the CCTV footage recordings in 2008 wherein they noted at least 12 appearances of Tuason at the Senate premises.
The prosecutor asked Saccuan if she was present during the actual review of the footage to which she answered in the negative but clarified that the pool of supervisors that included her reviewed all the entries contained in the memorandum that was summoned by the court.
“We reviewed all the footage, including the time and names of those who reviewed it,” Saccuan said as Valdez hinted that she was not present during the actual review and opened the possibility that not all entries were reviewed and that some of those people tasked to review the tapes may have fallen asleep.
Saccuan said there is a possibility that some of those fell asleep during the review.
Valdez also mentioned the entries in the said memorandum about images resembling Tuason that registered an entry but there was no exit log from it.
Valdez said that on June 3, 2008 with four still shots of the entry of the image resembling that of Tuason was recorded at 5:36:23 p.m. at the 5th floor hallway but that there was no exit log.
Saccuan said that at the time the recorder of their CCTV malfunctioned which is why there is no exit log but told the court that there are cameras in all entrance and elevators in the Senate building. 
The hearing continues today.