More control measures on PDAF, incriminating photos with lawmakers?

The Aquino administration is looking at the possible accreditation system for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that will seek funding from lawmakers’ pork barrel. Budget Secretary Florencio Abad says a tighter watch on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of senators and congressmen is needed. The pork barrel scam recently hit the headlines involving solons from the opposition and administration. In involves solons’ PDAFs being released by implementing agencies to bogus NGOs and foundations supposedly favored by the lawmakers. In exchange, the whistleblower said, the senators and congressmen get kickbacks from the NGOs.

The lawyer for busineswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the woman at the center of the expose, says Napoles is –quote– “not personally acquainted” with any of the lawmakers. The lawyer also acknowledges there may have been occasions that Napoles had her photo taken with some lawmakers but only for the sake of photo opportunities.  Photos obtained by Rappler show Napoles parties with lawmakers, indicating she’s more than an acquaintance to them. In the photos, Napoles, the owner of the JLN Group of Companies, attends a party apparently hosted by Sen Jinggoy Estrada. A smiling Napoles is seen table-hopping and posing for the cameras. One of the photos shows 2 of Estrada’s friends — Sen Bong Revilla and actor  Phillip Salvador — posing with Napoles. Estrada and Revilla are among 28 lawmakers tagged by whistleblowers as sources PDAF released to Napoles’ fake non-governmental organizations.

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