The Sandiganbayan’s move to clear businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles of 16 counts of graft in connection with the alleged anomalous use of Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.’s pork barrel fund is a huge offense to the Filipino public.
Businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the pork barrel fund scam. (MB file photo)
Senator Risa Hontiveros pointed this out in a statement following the Napoles’ acquittal from graft and corruption charges, expressing her disappointment on the latest development.
“It's a sad day for public accountability and our anti-graft efforts,” the Senate deputy minority leader said in a statement.
“It is an offense to the Filipino public that Janet Napoles's sentence is diluted and is incommensurate to the gravity of the corruption she engineered because the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence,” Hontiveros added.
Despite Napoles’ acquittal on the 16 charges, the Sandiganbayan found Napoles guilty of two counts of graft and two counts of malversation of public funds for conspiring with former Davao del Sur Rep. Douglas Cagas and several other public officials.
In 2013, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, then headed by former Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III, conducted a formal investigation into the involvement of several lawmakers’ in the Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) scam said to be orchestrated by Napoles.
Billions of lawmakers’ funds were funneled to various dubious non-government projects. In the end, several lawmakers, particularly senators and their staff were charged for graft and corruption.
Among those who faced graft and plunder charges in the Senate were former senator Juan Ponce Enrile, and Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong”
Revilla Jr. Estrada and Revilla.
Hontiveros said she hopes that despite the latest development on the Napoles case, the Upper Chamber will not cease to investigate cases of corruption in government.
“I hope this in no way discourages the Senate and law enforcement from continuously pushing for investigations and exposés that shed a harsh and necessary light on corruption ploys,” she said.
“Patuloy na naghihirap ang mga kababayan natin dahil sa pangungurakot (Our people continue to suffer because of corruption). We should continue depriving these avaricious appetites, and not sating them,” the senator reiterated.