NCMF head denies transacting with bogus NGOs

The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) denied irregularities in its transactions with 18 non-government organizations (NGOs)

“I won't really call them as bogus or fake NGOs kasi they existed and they have the required government papers and they have really implemented projects with us. Nag-implement talaga sila na na-monitor din naman namin,” NCMF secretary Mehol Sadain said in an interview with GMA News' “24 Oras” aired Wednesday evening.

Sadain also said that the commission implements a very strict accreditation and monitoring system when it comes to NGOs that would benefit from pork barrel funded projects.

Sadain said that to be accredited by the NCMF, an NGO is required to submit various documents such as Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration, Certificate of Good Standing, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Tax Declaration and audited financial report, among others.

The NGO who has received pork barrel funding is also required to submit a liquidation report, receipts and photos of the projects, Sadain said.

In its 2012 report, the Commission on Audit (COA) found irregularities in the P515-million PDAF assisted projects of NCMF coursed through 18 alleged bogus NGOs.

Based on the COA report the P515 million came from the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) of the Office of the President and from the PDAF of two senators and 38 lawmakers. The COA noted on its report that most of the NGOs were personally chosen by the lawmakers.

“The pattern is similar to the pattern that we uncovered in the special report on the PDAF (scam),” said COA chairpeson Grace Pulido-Tan.

According to the COA report, Senator Gringo Honasan alloted P30 million to the NGO, Focus on Development Goals Foundation, while Senator Juan Ponce Enrile alloted P25 million to Livedures Foundation Inc.

GMA News tried to the sides of Honasan and Enrile but both refused to give a statement, “24 Oras” reported.

Other NGOs who received the most funding, according to the COA report were Maharlikang Lipi Foundation, Inc. P67,700,000; Kapuso't Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. P64,000,000; and Rich Islas de Filipinas Foundation, Inc. P62,000,000.

The NGO Kaagapay Magpakailanman Foundation Inc., meanwhile received the biggest funding with P160 million.

Sadain said most of the funds allocated to Kaagapay Magpakailanman Foundation went to livelihood seminar projects such as soap making and juice making.

Sadain also maintained that none of the 18 NGOs was linked to now detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind behind the P10-billion pork barrel fund scam.

“Wala pong Napoles NGOs dito na pumasok sa NCMF. If you will look at the names of the Napoles NGOs, most of them are related to agriculture,” Sadain said.

On Monday, President Benigno Aquino III ordered an investigation on the alleged irregular pork transactions of NCMF. Aquino specifically tasked Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Cabinet Sec, Jose Rene Almendras, and Budget Sec. Butch Abad to lead the investigation.

Sadain said he is willing to face any investigation, “24 Oras” reported.

Meanwhile, in a separate interview with Senator Sergio Osmeña, he revealed that Sadain was already fired by Aquino.

“The President already fired Sadain. He already got rid of Sadain...He (Sadain) is on the way out and he's upset about it,” Osmeña said.

Sadain, on the other hand, said the President need not fire him since his term in NCMF is about to end in April.  — Elizabeth Marcelo/ELR, GMA News