Ex-Albay congressman Lim faces charges for PDAF misuse

MANILA, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman, on Monday, November 23, ordered the filing of charges against former Albay 3rd District Representative Reno Lim for questionable use of P27 million of his pork barrel in 2007.

Lim, along with Technology Resource Center (TRC) officials Antonio Ortiz, Dennis Cunanan, Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana, Marivic Jover, and Consuelo Lilian Espiritu, faces four counts of malversation and four counts of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019). 

Also charged are Carlos Soriano and France Mercado, representatives of non-governmental organization Kaagapay Magpakailanman Foundation Inc. (KMFI), and Carmelita Barredo of C.C Barredo Publishing House. 

The Ombudsman found that in August and November 2007, Lim requested the release of P30 million from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to fund 8,000 sets of livelihood instructional materials and technology kits. 

Records show that the amount was disbursed to TRC as implementing agency, with KMFI as partner NGO. 

But upon validation, Ombudsman investigators found that the project was “fictitious” as “not one among the constituents of said legislative district received the livelihood technology kit.”

The Ombudsman also noted that in the implementation, Lim “personally handpicked KMFI twice as project implementor” without public bidding.

Aside from this, the Ombudsman cited findings of the Commission on Audit (COA), which reveal that the P27 million was paid to the concerned units even before a memorandum of agreement was signed. 

The COA also questioned the legitimacy of the NGO, saying that there were no accreditation measures done to verify KMFI’s capacity to handle the project.  

Furthermore, KMFI registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) only a year before the disbursement. It also had no valid business address, as the one written on record was the same as C.C Barredo Publishing House.

Lim said, however, that he was just a “neophyte congressman” at the time and “merely followed the PDAF pre-implementation procedure.”

He also said that his signatures in the documents presented were forged. – Rappler.com