Aquino, Abad face plunder raps over Malampaya
MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes face a plunder complaint over the suspected anomalies in the P125-million Malampaya Funds.
In a 16-page complaint filed Tuesday before the Office of the Ombudsman, militant farmers' group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pillipinas (KMP) also sought plunder charges against businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, "pork barrel" scam whistle-blower Benhuy Luy who was formerly Napoles' employee, and eight other individuals.
KMP said that Aquino approved the Department of Budget and Management's disbursement of Malampaya funds through Department of Agrarian Reform to Napoles' fraudulent non-government organizations.
The group said that Aquino had no basis for directing funds to projects not related to energy.
"The President and respondent public officials of the DBM ... should know and should have known that the Malampaya Funds were earmarked for energy development or energy-related projects," the complaint reads.
"But despite such fact, they approved the release of the funds to the DAR, which is in no way engaged in energy development," the group added.
Signatories of the complaint are KMP Chairman Rafael Mariano and other officials of the group.
In October, the group also filed a plunder case against Aquino and some cabinet members in connection with the embezzlement of billions of government funds through the Priority Development Assistance Funds scam.
The Supreme Court declared the use of Malampaya funds in projects not related to energy unconstitutional, ruling on a series of petitions against the government in November.
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