Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Bong Revilla, and Jinggoy Estrada have been formally charged for plunder Monday over the “pork barrel scam.”
The complaints were filed by justice secretary Leila De Lima for the Department of Justice and Atty. Levito Baligod, lawyer of the whistle-blowers for the cases, at the Office of the Ombudsman on September 16, 2013.
Besides the three senators, two ex-congressmen, Rizalina Lanete and Edgar Valdez, as well as eight chiefs-of-staff of lawmakers were also charged with plunder.
In a press conference, De Lima said five heads of implementing agencies and six presidents of non-government organizations identified with Janet Napoles, the alleged brains of the “PDAF scam,” will likewise face malversation of public funds, direct bribery, or graft and corruption charges.
A total of 38 individuals comprised the first batch of would-be respondents.
The lawmakers were charged with plunder as they accumulated more than P50 million in transactions and acceptance of kickbacks over time while the others will only face malversation charges for receiving alleged kickbacks of less than P50 million, De Lima added.
Plunder is a non-bailable offense.
The complaints were filed by justice secretary Leila De Lima for the Department of Justice and Atty. Levito Baligod, lawyer of the whistle-blowers for the cases, at the Office of the Ombudsman on September 16, 2013.
Besides the three senators, two ex-congressmen, Rizalina Lanete and Edgar Valdez, as well as eight chiefs-of-staff of lawmakers were also charged with plunder.
In a press conference, De Lima said five heads of implementing agencies and six presidents of non-government organizations identified with Janet Napoles, the alleged brains of the “PDAF scam,” will likewise face malversation of public funds, direct bribery, or graft and corruption charges.
A total of 38 individuals comprised the first batch of would-be respondents.
The lawmakers were charged with plunder as they accumulated more than P50 million in transactions and acceptance of kickbacks over time while the others will only face malversation charges for receiving alleged kickbacks of less than P50 million, De Lima added.
Plunder is a non-bailable offense.