Meet ITO NA MI, Kapuso’t Kapamilya

MANILA, Philippines - A foundation called ITO NA MI, with a fictitious address and no business permit, received P124.8 million from the pork barrel of 12 congressmen, ostensibly for agriculture purposes, including earthworm raising kits.

ITO NA MI, which in SMS lingo could mean “this is me,” is one of the 82 dubious non-government organizations (NGOs) that received a total of P6.156 billion in pork barrel funds from at least 12 senators and over 180 congressmen between 2007 and 2009,
according to the Commission on Audit (COA).

A special COA audit report conducted over two years from 2010 also showed that a group called Kapuso’t Kapamilya Foundation Inc. (KapKFI) received P107.5 million in pork barrel from seven congressmen, including the late Ignacio Arroyo of Negros Occidental.

The younger brother of former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo shelled out P20.2 million – the second biggest amount allocated for the group after the earmark of former congressman Pedro Pancho of Bulacan.

“Kapuso’t Kapamilya” appears to have been derived from the monikers for the fans of television networks GMA-7 and ABS-CBN.

KapKFI, the COA report said, lists its business address in Plainview, Mandaluyong City and has a business permit but is not listed on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a registered NGO.

The group supposedly used the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to buy livelihood technology kits, seedlings and farm implements, which were distributed to 42 barangays.

But the COA reported that “none of the selected recipients so far confirmed receipt… with 15 categorically denying receipt.”

“The foundation has the apparent intention to imitate the signature of one of (its) sales coordinators,” the COA report stated.

ITO NA MI – short for Ito Na Movement Foundation Inc. – has no business permit from the city government of Pasig but is registered with the SEC.

When state auditors visited its listed office address at the Cityland Mega Plaza in Ortigas Center, the unit was closed and the building administrator certified that the foundation was never a tenant of the building.

Northern Samar 2nd District Rep. Emil Ong gave the largest amount, P51.4 million, to ITO NA MI.

The group listed 858 individual recipients of vermiculture starter kits, farm animals including swine, ducks and goats, and vitamins and vaccines.

None of the recipients confirmed receipt of the items, while 14 denied receiving anything. Eighteen recipients could not be traced in their listed addresses.

Gracious Samaritans

Another NGO, the Assembly of Gracious Samaritans Foundation Inc. (AGSFI), received P24.9 million from a lone legislator – former senator Edgardo Angara.

The COA report said AGSFI, which listed its office address in North Olympus, Novaliches, Quezon City, is registered with the SEC but had a business permit only for 2007.

Angara confirmed all his signatures in documents submitted by AGSFI for livelihood development projects, but the fund releases have not yet been liquidated, the COA report said.

Gintong Pakpak

The Gintong Pakpak Foundation Inc. (GinPFI), with office address in Tugatog, Malabon, received P32.4 million also from only one lawmaker – Malabon-Navotas Rep. Alvin Sandoval.

GinPFI told state auditors that it had submitted liquidation documents to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, but the COA found the transactions questionable.

The foundation purportedly used the PDAF to provide financial assistance, anti-rabies vaccinations and medicine for residents of Malabon and Navotas.

But the listed beneficiaries could not confirm receiving the assistance, with 56 categorically denying receipt. Sixty-two listed recipients could not be traced.

State auditors learned that only 873 of the supposed 10,910 beneficiaries of GinPFI’s implemented projects were registered voters of Malabon and Navotas.

Show biz aid

Even people from show business apparently have an NGO, the Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng Pelikulang Pilipino, which received P6.5 million in pork barrel funds from former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri.

The COA report said the money was supposedly used for housing and education assistance programs for movie workers. This, state auditors noted, is not among the projects that can be financed with the PDAF.

Another NGO, the Buhay Mo Mahal Ko Foundation Inc., received P83.9 million from nine congressmen, with the biggest amount of P14.5 million coming from Rodolfo Antonio of the 4th District of Nueva Ecija.

The Gabay Pag-asa ng Masa Foundation Inc., meanwhile, received P72.2 million from eight lawmakers, with former Cebu congressman Antonio Cuenco earmarking P23.2 million.