P29-M kickback from Napoles? 'A complete lie,' says Alexis Sevidal

Who is Alexis Sevidal, the government employee who is supposed to have received P29.5 million in commissions from alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles?

His name cropped up repeatedly in the draft affidavit of Napoles that presidential assistant on Yolanda rehabilitation Panfilo Lacson submitted to the Senate blue ribbon committee.

Next to the three senators facing plunder charges in the anomaly, Sevidal is said to have received the highest amount of kickbacks, even more than self-confessed broker Ruby Tuason, according to a tabulation made by GMA News Online.



When reached for comment, Sevidal said: “That is a total and complete lie. I have yet to meet the lady.”

In a phone interview, he told GMA News Online, “Why is a third-ranking officer like me being singled out? I am bitter and surprised. They besmirched my reputation. It's disturbing na ako ang tinuturo nila.”

Sevidal said he has not seen the Napoles affidavit, but has been informed about it.

“It's inconceivable,” he added, after finding out that based on figures from the document, he supposedly received the fourth biggest kickback among the alleged pork scam conspirators.

“I don't have the power, authority or clout to pursue the criminal intention of (Mrs. Napoles). I don't make decisions alone or do manipulation,” he said.

Sevidal is currently the head of the Accounts Servicing and Asset Management Group of the National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC), one of the government-owned and -controlled corporations questioned by the Commission on Audit regarding the pork barrel scam.

He used to be the finance officer of Livelihood Corporation, another GOCC, before it was merged with the National Livelihood Support Fund in 2007.

Last year, Sevidal was among dozens of people included in the plunder complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly diverting billions of pesos in discretionary government funds into ghost projects and NGOs.

'Bullied by lawmakers'

In his counter-affidavit submitted to the Ombudsman, Sevidal blamed the senators and Napoles for the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocation of legislators.

He said the lawmakers were responsible for “identifying the projects, determining the project costs and choosing the non-government organizations."

Sevidal argued that he and other employees of the NLDC, one of the implementing agencies of the legislators' projects, were victims of the “political climate” who were “bullied into submission by the lawmakers.”

In its joint resolution on the case, the anti-graft body opted to indict Sevidal for the lesser crime of violation of Republic Act 3019, or graft and corruption, instead of plunder.

The Ombudsman said the officers of the implementing agencies had participated in the processing and approval of PDAF disbursements to the questionable NGOs, including the execution of memoranda of agreement governing the projects.

According to the Ombudsman, Sevidal certified in disbursement vouchers that the PDAF releases were necessary, lawful, and incurred under his direct supervision.

“The funds in question could not have been transferred to these entities if not for their certifications, signatures and approvals found in the corresponding disbursement vouchers and checks,” the Ombudsman said.

The resolution said conspiracy among the accused was “undeniable,” with Sevidal and others supposedly receiving portions of the PDAF disbursements from Napoles for their participation in the scheme.

“The role played by each of them is so indispensable to the success of their scheme that, without any of them, the same would have failed,” the anti-graft body said in its joint resolution.

5% commission

Napoles, in her draft affidavit, said Sevidal received a five percent commission whenever there was a PDAF transaction involving NLDC. There were six transactions with Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, eight with Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and five with Estrada.

“The money for Alexis Sevidal was delivered by my staff Evelyn de Leon in the NLDC office in One Corporate Plaza, Arnaiz Avenue, Makati upon clearing of the check issued by the GOCC,” read one paragraph that was repeated 19 times in the document.

In the interview with GMA News Online, Sevidal admitted that De Leon went to his office several times but denied receiving any money from her.

He said De Leon has issued an affidavit denying the allegation of payoffs, which Sevidal attached to the counter-affidavit he submitted to the Ombudsman.

Sevidal said his staff confers with De Leon because she was a coordinator of one or two non-government organizations endorsed by lawmakers for their PDAF projects.

“It is the official function of my office, our group, to deal with the NGOs. Kami ang nagha-handle ng lahat ng PDAF request. There is a staff assigned to review and evaluate the papers and after that the papers are passed on to me for signing. We then present it to the Board (of Trustees),” he said.

Sevidal said his division manager, Gigi Buenaventura—who was mentioned by whistle-blower Benhur Luy as among those who allegedly received money from De Leon—is the person responsible for reviewing and evaluating the documents of NGOs.

“Na-check namin sa Securities and Exchange Commission, meron naman silang papel. May registration, tsinek namin ang mga documents. During that time wala namang pangalan na Napoles sa mga papel. We also let the NGOs submit their papers. Lahat dumaan sa regular process,” said Sevidal.

He pointed out that NLDC did not cast any doubts on the NGOs endorsed by the lawmakers, as their agreement states that the “legislator guarantees the legitimacy and capability of the NGO.”

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales has said she would resolve the pending motions on the plunder and graft charges related to the pork barrel scam when she returns in June from a study tour in the US. – YA, GMA News