P10-B Scam - Ex-employee also links businesswoman to alleged ‘pork barrel scam’

Ex-employee also links businesswoman to alleged ‘pork barrel scam’

July 18, 2013 12:48am
Rouchelle R. Dinglasan/DVM, GMA News

A former employee of JLN Corporation on Wednesday also implicated businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles in the alleged P10-billion scam involving funds from lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

“Naririnig din naming mismo sa bunganga ni Madam Jenny, ‘O sige mag-prepare ka ng ano, mag-withdraw kayo kasi si ganito. Magbibigay tayo sa kanya,’” Merlina Suñas said in an interview with Susan Enriquez, aired Wednesday' on GMA’s “24 Oras”. Suñas had been an employee of JLN for 12 years.

“Kung minsan kailangan nung lawmaker ng P10, 15, 20 [million]. Kung minsan kasi may incoming sila na pondo, mga PDAF, [kaya] ayan nagreready na [kami ng cash]. May pondo si Senador kaya dapat mag prepare tayo ng ganito [komisyon nila],” she noted.

The television report said that Napoles supposedly preferred to hand over cash rather than checks to lawmakers to avoid any evidence that may link her to them.

Benhur Luy, who also claimed to be an employee of Napoles, had earlier blown the whistle on the alleged P10-billion scam that has run for 10 years. About five senators and 23 member of the House Representatives has purportedly made their PDAF allocation available to JLN Corporation, which in turn transferred the funds to bogus non-government organizations.

The television report said that Luy angered Napoles after he allegedly filched money from the transactions.

For her part, the JLN president and CEO denied Luy’s accusations and turned the tables on the whistleblower. "Si Benhur 'Kilap Kilap' Luy ang scammer," accused Napoles.

“Alam ko ‘yan yung ginagawa nila mga atake sa akin para sirain ang aking kredibilidad as magte-testify against sa kanya,” Luy said in the same television report.

“Palusot na lang ni Napoles ‘yan para madivert ang attention mula sa principal na issue natin. Ang issue natin ay nasaan yung pera para sa mga magsasaka,” replied Luy’s and Suñas’ legal counsel, Levito Baligod.

Beligod added that his clients were ready to face any investigation on the supposed pork barrel scam.—