Senate panel asked to summon 2 ex-NABCOR execs to 'pork' probe - GMA News

The Senate blue ribbon committee should summon two former officials of the National Agri-business Corporation (NABCOR) to its probe on the alleged pork barrel scam, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago said Tuesday.

In Senate Resolution 575, Santiago said former NABCOR officials Rhodora Mendoza and Victor Roman Cacal can shed light on how lawmakers supposedly plundered their Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF).

Mendoza used to be NABCOR's vice president for finance, while Cacal was previously head of general services.

"Mendoza and Cacal should appear before the Blue ribbon committee’s ongoing hearing on the pork barrel scam, to testify and submit documents on the criminal involvement of the lawmakers implicated in the scam," Santiago said in her resolution.

She added that the two former NABCOR officials can also testify "on how the loopholes in the disbursement of government funds are exploited in order for public officials to plunder public funds."

GMA News Online was still trying to reach Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Teofisto Guingona III for his comment on Santiago's proposal as of posting time.

A Philippine Daily Inquirer report published earlier in the day said Cacal and Mendoza both offered testimony on how the NABCOR supposedly experienced pressure from government officials, such as former Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, to release pork barrel funds to foundations linked to alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

Last September, Mendoza already appeared before the Senate blue ribbon committee and identified Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile and Bong Revilla Jr. as among lawmakers who gave pork barrel funds to foundations connected to Napoles.

Aside from the three senators, Mendoza also identified 10 members of the House of Representatives who supposedly allocated their discretionary funds to foundations linked to Napoles.

These House members were Conrado Estrella III, Erwin Chiongbian, Rodolfo Plaza, Victor Ortega, Samuel Dangwa, Edgar Valdez, Mark Douglas Cagas IV, Rizalina Lanete, Arthur Pingoy Jr. and Rodolfo Valencia.

Estrada, Enrile, Revilla, Cacal, Mendoza and Napoles are currently facing plunder raps before the Office of the Ombudsman for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam. — Andreo Calonzo/KBK, GMA News

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