DOJ submits papers showing DAR ‘advanced P300M’ to Napoles in 2009

MANILA — Janet Lim-Napoles received an advance of P300 million from a P900 million requested by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for assistance to victims of tropical storms in 2009, according to official documents purportedly supporting a plunder complaint in the Office of the Ombudsman.

The documents were filed by the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation in the case stemming from the alleged misuse of the multi-billion-peso Malampaya Fund representing the government share of proceeds from oil and gas production off Palawan province.

According to the documents, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) issued a notice of cash allocation (NCA) on Dec. 21, 2009, covering the request for the P900 million from the Malampaya Fund for assistance to agrarian reform beneficiaries affected by tropical storms “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.”

But the papers said that Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman earlier authorized the release of P300 million from Land Bank of the Philippines to 12 nongovernment organizations (NGOs) controlled by Napoles even before the NCA was issued. Normally, the issuance of the NCA triggers the release by the DBM of the fund requested.

According to the complaint, the P900 million ended up in ghost projects and kickbacks.

Charged in the Malampaya Fund plunder case filed last October were former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, former executive secretary Eduardo Ermita, Pangandaman and his undersecretary Narciso Nieto, former budget secretary and now Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., his undersecretary Mario Relampagos, and 19 others, inclding Napoles.