JPE, Jinggoy, Revilla slapped with graft

MANILA, Philippines - Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada were charged with additional graft cases before the Sandiganbayan yesterday.

The Office of the Ombudsman made the additional indictments after filing plunder charges last Friday. 

However, the prosecutors came to the anti-graft court’s docket section very late in the afternoon as office hours were about to end.

The Sandiganbayan only received transmittal letters as there was no more time to receive actual charge sheets, which would have meant that respondents had actually been indicted.

The Office of the Ombudsman indicted Enrile for 15 counts of graft, Revilla for 16, and Estrada for 11. Co-accused Janet Lim-Napoles faces 42 graft cases.

Among those facing plunder and graft cases in relation to the alleged misuse of Enrile’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) are Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, Jose Antonio Evangelista II, Francisco Figura, Marivic Jover, Antonio Ortiz, Alan Javellana, Maria Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, Romulo Relevo, Chita Jalandoni, Filipina Tolentino Rodriguez, Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal, Sophia Daing Cruz, Gondelina Amata, Ofelia Ordoez, Mario Relampagos, Rosario Nuez, Lalaine Paule, Marilou Bare, Janet Lim-Napoles, Jo Christine Napoles, James Christopher Napoles, Eulogio Rodriguez, Dorilyn Agbay Fabian, Nitz Cabilao, Ronald John Lim, Renato Ornopia and John Raymond de Asis.  

In relation to Revilla’s case, those charged based on an earlier announcement by the Office of the Ombudsman include lawyer Richard Cambe, Janet Lim-Napoles, Ofelia Ordoez, Francisco Figura, Ma. Ninez Guaizo, Chita Jalandoni, Maria Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, Gregoria Buenaventura, Mario Relampagos, Rosario Nuez, Lalaine Paule, Marilou Bare, Romulo Relevo, Ronald John Lim, Alan Javellana, Gondelina Mata, John Raymond de Asis, Sophia Cruz, Marivic Jover, Antonio Ortiz, Consuelo Lilian Espiritu, Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal and Eulogio Rodriguez.

As for Estrada’s PDAF, those indicted were Francisco Figura, Marivic Jover, Antonio Ortiz, Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal, Sophia Daing Cruz, Gondelina Amata, Gregoria Buenaventura, Chita Jalandoni, Alan Javellana, Maria Ninez Guanizo, Maria Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, Mario Relampagos, Rosario Nuez, Lalaine Paule, Marilou Bare, Janet Lim-Napoles and John Raymond de Asis.     

Support for De Lima

An anti-corruption group has rallied behind Justice Secretary Leila de Lima against supposed attempts to sabotage the government’s investigation on the multibillion-peso pork barrel fund scam.

The Reborn Filipinos for Reform Philippines Movement said insinuations hurled against De Lima to block confirmation of her appointment before the Commission on Appointments (CA) are obvious “attempts to muddle and misdirect the issues by certain personalities involved in the PDAF scam.”

“It is well known that several attempts to muddle and misdirect the issues by certain personalities involved in the PDAF scam have been made in the past since its exposé, but has not deterred the feisty secretary from her pursuit of the truth and justice for the aggrieved Filipinos,” the group said in a letter to the CA yesterday.  â€“ With Edu Punay