'Revilla, Estrada, Enrile endorsed Napoles-linked NGO'

Ex-NABCOR officials admit meeting Napoles, Luy

MANILA, Philippines - A former high-ranking official of the National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR) claimed that three senators who have already been embroiled into the alleged pork barrel scam endorsed to their office a questionable non-government organization (NGO) that is linked to Janet Lim-Napoles.

Former NABCOR vice president for administration and finance Rhodora Mendoza identified senators Bong Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, and Juan Ponce Enrile as among the legislators who endorsed projects to the Social Development Program for Farmers Foundations, Inc (SDPFFI).

"I am very sure of the three senators: Revilla, Estrada and Enrile," Mendoza told Senator Teofisto "TG" Guingona, the Blue Ribbon Committee chairman, during the resumption of the Senate probe into the alleged pork barrel scam on Thursday.

Aside from the three senators, Mendoza also identified several members of the House of Representatives who endorsed alleged bogus NGOs.

The lawmakers were Reps. Conrado Estrella III, Erwin Chiongbian, Rodolfo Plaza, Victor Ortega, Samuel Dangwa, Edgar Valdez, Mark Douglas Cagas IV, Rizalina Lanete, Arthur Pingoy Jr. and Rodolfo Valencia.

Mendoza admitted of knowing alleged pork barrel scam whistle-blower Benhur Luy, whom she said frequented the NABCOR office to follow-up on the projects of the SDPFFI.

She said Luy, the president of the SDPFFI, also introduced her to Napoles.

“I met her (Napoles) once. I was invited in a thanksgiving mass in Discovery Suites,”  Mendoza told Guingona.

Mendoza was not among the resource persons invited to speak but she was called upon the request of former NABCOR President Alan Javellana, who was grilled during the hearing.

Javellana also admitted meeting Luy, who introduced himself in the NABCOR office, and Napoles.

"We had a meeting sa coffee shop ng Discovery Suites," said Javellana, referring to Napoles, the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind.

NABCOR is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Department of Agriculture, which was among the implementing government agencies covered by the Commission on Audit special report on the pork barrel for 2007 to 2009.

The report revealed that nearly 200 lawmakers allocated P6.15 billion in pork barrel in 2007 to 2009 to 82 NGOs, some of which are dubious.

COA chief Grace Pulido-Tan said in last week's first hearing that four senators were all found to have provided their pork barrel allocation to the NGOs linked to Napoles.

These were Revilla, Estrada, Enrile, and Gringo Honasan.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Senate minority that included the senators said it is not their job to verify the legitimacy of the NGOs that receive their pork barrel through implementing government agencies.

Related story: Senate minority: Not our job to check if NGOs are real