Ombudsman-led probe on pork scam assessing 'roomful' of evidence

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Audit's (COA) special audit report baring lawmakers' alleged misuse of government funds or pork barrel is not among the evidences that the Ombudsman-led Inter-agency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council (IAGCC) is considering to build a case.

There is, however, a "roomful of evidence" that investigators are looking into using leads from the COA report, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said in a televised press conference Tuesday.

"The COA report is not evidence, so we will not consider filing a case on the report alone because it is not evidence," Morales added.

She said that IAGCC is following the paper trail to build a case against businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles for her alleged involvement in creating fake non-government organizations where lawmakers' pork is sent.

"We find evidence on that the respondents mentioned in the report, we have to go through preliminary investigation then they will be asked to submit their counter affidavit," Morales explained.

IAGGCC consists of eight government agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), that are mobilized to gather evidence for preliminary investigation and criminal prosecution.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, meanwhile, said that upcoming cases will depend on the paper trail to show the extent of involvement of potential respondents in the pork scam.

"Ang magiging basehan or standards or benchmarks sa pag-file ng kaso on the first batch of cases is personal knowledge of the whistleblowers and other witnesses and which cases have enough documentary support," De Lima said.

Lawmakers to be implicated

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), meanwhile, is preparing to file a case implicating "some lawmakers" on the supposed misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Funds or pork barrel, De Lima said.

"Yung nga pong ifa-file ng NBI na kaso, meron na pong isasama na mga lawmakers," De Lima said, refusing to disclose the names of involved solons.

She added that the NBI is still organizing documentary evidence that includes testimonies of alleged whistleblowers who have also accused Napoles for spearheading a scheme of dummy projects and ghost organizations collecting pork.

Related story: Napoles, lawmakers facing criminal, plunder raps

"Yung sa NBI, yung mga pine-prepare nilang kaso in the first batch ng mga pwede nang i-file dahil may sufficient evidence na while the rest are still undergoing a case buildup," De Lima said.

The NBI is conducting a parallel investigation on the alleged scam along with IAGCC.

"We are availing of the existing mechanism under the IAGCC for the pooling for resources, for the pooling of manpower and skills and expertise to avoid overlapping, duplication of work and for optimal results dahil nga sa lawak ng usaping ito dahil nga sa COA report," De Lima added.

The NBI is also leading a manhunt for Napoles and her brother Jojo Lim, who are under arrest for serious illegal detention of Benhur Luy, one of the said whistleblowers of the scam.