Bongbong denies authorizing P24-M 'pork barrel' transaction with Napoles NGO

Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Tuesday denied giving a former employee authority to enter into a supposed P24-million "pork barrel" transaction with alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

 

In a statement, Marcos said he is already "sick and tried" of being dragged into the "pork barrel" controversy.

 

"Regarding the accusations that I am in cahoots with Ms. Napoles, let me reiterate for the nth time that I have never met her nor have I ever authorized any person to deal with her or any non-governmental organization which she allegedly has control of – whether on my behalf or on behalf of my office," Marcos said.

 

The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on Monday that Marcos allegedly allocated P24.25 million to the Masaganang Ani para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (Mamfi) for livelihood projects in Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental in 2011. The transactions reportedly involved Napoles and Catherine Mae Santos, the senator's former employee.

 

Mamfi is among the questionable non-government organizations being linked to Napoles, who is currently facing a plunder complaint for allegedly using fake NGOs to siphon money from the discretionary Priority Development Assistance Fund.

 

Marcos said Santos was only "detailed" to his office by two congressional bodies, and has "ceased to be connected" to his office since March 2013, or even before news of the alleged pork barrel scam broke out.

 

"I have not seen nor heard from her since," the senator said.

 

Marcos likewise said no document or record from his office showed that he funneled funds to Mamfi.

 

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) website has no record of Marcos making pork barrel allocations to the provinces of Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental in 2011 either.

 

The senator, son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, also called on the media to be "more responsible in the way they report."

 

"While it sells papers, inaccurate sensationalism does us all an injustice when it just serves to muddle the issues," he said.

 

Last September, Senator Marcos also claimed that his signature was forged on documents endorsing pork barrel funds to Napoles-linked NGOs.

 

Three other senators--Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Ramon Bong Revilla Jr.--are being implicated in the alleged anomaly. -- Andreo Calonzo/JDS, GMA News