Plunder raps in Malampaya fund scam to be filed Thursday

MANILA, Philippines - Department heads tagged in the P900-million Malampaya Fund scam will be charged with plunder on Thursday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Wednesday.

De Lima said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will file raps before the Office of the Ombudsman and no lawmakers will be made respondents, unlike an earlier case filed against a number of senators and House representatives.

(Related: Plunder raps filed vs Napoles, 3 'pork' senators)

The NBI is preparing the pieces of evidence for the case, she said.

The plunder case was supposed to be filed today but De Lima said it was postponed for a day due to the ongoing case against Janet Lim Napoles at the Makati City Trial Court. The presence of whistleblower Benhur Luy, who filed the illegal detention case against Napoles, is important so he can execute and subscribe to his testimony in the Malampaya case, De Lim said.

Napoles allegedly stole a part of the government's commission in the Malampaya Gas Project.