SPECIAL REPORT: Ombudsman catches up with Godofredo Roque Group

Individuals connected with Godofredo Roque's network of dubious non-government organizations are among the respondents in the latest complaints investigators filed before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam, GMA News Research has learned.

Roque is one of the personalities that the Commission on Audit identified as those involved in channeling millions of pesos in lawmakers' Priority Development Assistance Fund allocations to fake foundations in much the same manner that the more notorious Janet Lim Napoles did.

 

GMA News Research and the GMA Special Assignments Team first reported on the interconnections and dubious nature of the Godofredo Roque group in 2013.

 

On Thursday, the Field Investigation Office of the Office of the Ombudsman announced the filing of formal complaints against three former congressmen for the alleged misuse of their pork barrel fund allocations. The FIO filed the charge sheets before the Office of the Ombudsman, which will then conduct preliminary investigation on the complaints. 

 

Two of the respondent-lawmakers in the FIO complaints had PDAF releases to the Roque group: former La Union 2nd District Rep. Thomas Dumpit Jr. and former House Speaker Prospero Nograles (as caretaker representative of the First District of Misamis Oriental).

 

Dumpit is facing charges of malversation of public funds, falsification, and violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act in connection with some P66.5 million PDAF transfers to dubious NGOs. Among those joining Dumpit in the charge sheet are the representatives of Roque group NGOs Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation, Inc. (KKAMFI) and Kasangga sa Magandang Bukas Foundation, Inc. (KMBFI). 

 

Meanwhile, Nograles is facing charges of malversation of public funds and violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act for the illegal disbursement and misuse of P47.5 million PDAF. The said amount went to dubious projects implemented by KKAMFI, KMBFI, and two more Roque group NGOs—Buhay Mo Mahal Ko Foundation, Inc. (BMMKFI) and Gabay at Pag-asa ng Masa Foundation, Inc. (GPMFI). 

 

The PDAF releases were for the 1st Legislative District of Misamis Oriental, which Nograles oversaw when Rep. Danilo Lagbas died of cancer in 2008. Both Lagbas and Nograles as caretaker representative asked the implementing agencies to have the funds transferred to selected NGOs, according to the FIO investigation.

 

The funds were intended for livelihood projects, such as the distribution of fruit seedlings and farm implements, or the conduct of trainings like soap making, meat processing, and livestock raising.

 

Upon investigation, however, the FIO found that the projects  weren't delivered to their supposed beneficiaries. The local agriculturists denied receiving livelihood kits and said they did not know about the trainings supposedly conducted in their areas. People listed as beneficiaries of seedlings and other farm implements said they never received the items. The receipts presented by one of the suppliers, C.C. Barredo Publishing House, were spurious.

 

C.C. Barredo and a few of the suppliers named as co-respondents in the Dumpit complaint—J.L. Soriano and George/G. Roque—also had other NGOs in the Roque group as clients.

 

In all, the PDAF releases to dubious NGOs as determined by the FIO in the Dumpit and Nograles complaints add up to P114 million. Most of the releases went to Roque group NGOs. 

 

Even then, the  amount is less than a tenth of what the Godofredo Roque group received from government agencies over the years. 

 

A review of various Commission on Audit reports showed that at least P1.76 billion in public funds had been transferred to the NGOs in this group over a span of a decade.

Recurring names, recurring faults

 

When GMA News Research began its research on PDAF misuse last year, it found that the names of some individuals and NGOs kept cropping up in various regular audit reports. COA often called out these people and organizations for shortcomings and irregularities in the way they handled the government funds that were entrusted to them.

 

When COA released its special audit report on PDAF in August 2013, the same names again turned up. Godofredo Roque, Marilou Antonio, Joel Soriano, Marilou Ferrer, Myra Villanueva and France Mercado. Table 20 of that voluminous landmark report indicated that they were individuals who were connected with at least two different NGOs. 

 

Further research into documents filed at the Securities and Exchange Commission expanded our initial list of 11 people into the network that it is today.

 

At present, the Godofredo Roque group is composed of 15 NGOs and 17 individuals. 

 

Aside from the four NGOs implicated in the Nograles and Dumpit complaints, the other organizations comprising this group are:

 

Kaagapay Magpakailanman Foundation, Inc. (KMFI)

Gov. Eunice Guerrero Cucueco Foundation, Inc. (GEGCFI)

Ikaw at Ako Foundation, Inc. (IAFI)

Kagandahan ng Kapaligiran Foundation, Inc. (KKFI)

Kabalikat sa Kalusugan at Kaunlaran Foundation Inc. (KabKKFI)

Kapuso’t Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. (KapKFI)

Gabay sa Magandang Bukas Foundation, Inc. (GMBFI)

Kaisa’t Kaagapay Mo Foundation, Inc. (KKMFI)

Kalinga sa Kapwa at Kalikasan Foundation, Inc. (KalKKFI)

Kapanalig ng Masa sa Kaunlaran Foundation, Inc. (KMKFI)

Sulong Pinoy para sa Kaunlaran Foundation, Inc. (SPKFI)

 

KMKFI and SPKFI did not figure in the COA reports reviewed by GMA News Research, although some of the people in these two NGOs have ties to other NGOs in the network.

 

The 17 individuals are:

 

Maria Apolinario

Carlos Soriano

Marilou Ferrer

Godofredo Roque

Marilou Antonio

Allen Calma

Miraflor/Myra Villanueva

Ruby Ramos

Francisca/Francesca/Frances Mercado

Julie Ann Unico

Joel Soriano

Catherine/Cathy Gari

Filomayo Cucueco

Romeo R. Cucueco

Rodrigo Doria

Melinda Guerrero

Maria Paz/Mari Paz/Maripaz Vega

 

These individuals are connected with at least two of the NGOs in the group either as incorporators, board members, officers, contact persons, project coordinators, or witnesses.

 

In their capacity as incorporator and/or officer, Roque and Antonio have the most connections within the group. Gari also has several ties but mostly as the listed contact person of some Roque NGOs. 

 

Antonio, Calma, Ferrer, Roque, Doria, Vega, and Villanueva are among the co-respondents of former representative Dumpit in the FIO’s complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman.

 

The FIO also lists a certain Neriza Gador as a co-respondent in the Dumpit complaint. The complaint identified her as one of the KKAMFI representatives.

 

Virac connection

 

Antonio’s sister, incumbent Virac, Catanduanes Mayor Flerida Alberto, is also a co-respondent in the Dumpit complaint. The FIO complaint lists her together with the KKAMFI representatives.

 

Based on SEC records, Alberto was an incorporator of KKAMFI. She was also an incorporator of M.L. Antonio Enterprises, her sister Marilou’s company. The NGO and the company were both incorporated years before Alberto was elected to office in 2013.

 

However, it was during Alberto’s current term when M.L. Antonio Enterprises supplied livelihood training kits to Virac. The kits were part of the PDAF projects implemented by Roque group NGOs GPMFI and KMFI.

 

In a face-to-face interview with GMA News last year, Alberto denied any involvement in an NGO. She also said she does not recall being part of M.L. Antonio Enterprises.

 

Suppliers, too

 

GMA News Research found that some of the suppliers enlisted by the Roque group NGOs for their PDAF-funded projects had connections to the Roque network.

 

Most of the Roque group NGOs had C.C. Barredo Publishing House as their supplier. Its owner as per Department of Trade and Industry records is one Carmelita Cucueco Barredo. A “Carmelita Barredo” is listed as one of the incorporators of Roque group NGO, KabKKFI.

 

Antonio has M.L. Antonio Enterprises, which has KMFI and GPMFI as clients. Antonio, its president, is an incorporator of GPMFI.

 

George Roque Enterprises supplied to BMMKFI and and KKAMFI. Its incorporator, chair and treasurer, Godofredo Roque, is also an incorporator of KKAMFI.

 

COA’s special audit on PDAF lists J.L. Soriano Enterprises as one of the suppliers of KKAMFI. The Department of Trade and Industry issued a negative certification in August 2013 when GMA News Research inquired about the registration papers of the said supplier, but the SEC has a record of a “J.L. Soriano Inc. The Tax Identification Number (TIN) of its president, Joel L. Soriano, matches the TIN of the “Joel Soriano” listed in BMMKFI’s General Information Sheet in 2006.

 

M.A. Guerrero Enterprises had KKAMFI and KKFI as clients. DTI records show that the supplier is owned by “Melinda Astrera Guerrero” from Baesa, Quezon City. Roque group NGOs KabKKFI and SPKFI both have an incorporator named “Melinda Guerrero”, also from Baesa.

 

Joel Soriano, Barredo, and Roque are co-respondents in the Dumpit complaint filed by the FIO before the Ombudsman. They were identified as suppliers in the complaint.

 

GMA News Research tried to reach all of the NGOs and individuals in the Godofredo Roque group.

Those we were able to contact declined our requests for interview; others couldn’t be found at their registered addresses.

 

Some of the NGOs’ office addresses turned out to be residences or non-existent addresses.

 

At least 86 legislators had PDAF releases to this group. With reports from Alaysa Escandor and Jamaica Pascual, GMA News Research/NB, GMA News