'Congressmen fetched cash from Napoles, senators used aides'

MANILA (UPDATE 1) - Levito Baligod, lawyer of the whistle-blowers in the pork barrel scam, on Wednesday said his clients will be able to prove that businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles handed money to some members of the House of Representatives. He said the whistle-blowers will also narrate how Gigi Reyes, the former chief of staff of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, used to communicate with Napoles.Speaking to ANC, Baligod said there were times when congressmen would go to Napoles' condominium unit in Pacific Plaza Towers in Taguig and the helpers would hand over to them money from Napoles. "There were no deliveries [to the houses of congressmen]. They received it at JLN Corporation. Regardless of whether they are partners or not, the fact is - tumatangggap sila e. There were instances when Mrs. Napoles met with legislators outside JLN Corporation at duon niya binibigay. Remember, she had personal assistants who go with her on meetings. Sometimes, the agents of legislators also go to her house and it is the kasambahays who give the money," he said in the interview. He said none of the senators received money personally but used their subordinates to receive the cash from Napoles or her staff. "Sa totoo lang, for example si Senator Enrile you do not expect him na pupunta roon. He is in his advanced age and definitely hindi naman ganun," he said. He added: "In the case of the senators, it was their agents or subordinates who received the cash." He also confirmed that the whistle-blowers can attest that Reyes, former aide of Enrile, had regular contact with Mrs. Napoles and her staff. "For now, I cannot tell you the details but si Atty. Reyes ang nakakausap ni Mrs. Napoles atsaka yung ibang staff," he said. How the scam works At least 38 individuals including 3 incumbent senators are facing plunder and malversation raps before the Ombudsman for their alleged links to the P10 billion pork barrel scam. Key whistle-blower Benhur Luy earlier told the Senate Blue Ribbon committee that senators and congressmen got a 50% cut on all pork barrel funds allocated to fake NGOs linked to Mrs. Napoles. He told senators Napoles and the legislator would first agree on which implementing agency will get the lawmaker's Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). He said the Napoles group would also send proposed "ghost" projects that the lawmaker could fund using his or her PDAF allocation. Half of the senator's or congressman's cut of the pork barrel funds would be released to the lawmaker once the proposed project has already been listed and acknowledged by the Department of Budget and Management. Luy said Napoles would usually pay the first half of the lawmaker's cut from her own money. Once the DBM releases the special allotment release order (SARO) to the lawmaker, a copy would be furnished to Napoles' JLN Corporation. By that time, the remaining 50 percent of the cut of the lawmaker would be released. But before the lawmaker's balance is released, he or she would first submit an endorsement letter to the implementing agency where he or she identifies the selected NGO, and the project proposal. Luy earlier said Napoles' employees, including himself, were the ones who drafted the project proposals. Baligod said Napoles employees would withdraw all the money from the bank accounts of the fake NGOs and bring the cash to the office of JLN Corporation. 10% of documents came from whistle-blowers Baligod said they have more incriminating information to present once the case reaches the trial stage. For now, he said the documents they turned in were meant to just back their statements that there is probable cause to file cases against the accused. Truckloads of documents were earlier submitted by the Department of Justice to the Ombudsman as plunder charges were filed against some lawmakers and Napoles. Baligod said only 10% of the documents presented before the Ombudsman came from the whistle-blowers.