CA Freezes Bank Accounts of 4 Ex-Solons, Staff Involved in Pork Barrel Scam

In a 43-page resolution penned by Court of Appeals Associate Justice Manuel Barrios,the CA has issued an order freezing the bank accounts of four former lawmakers and six staff members of three senators who are involved in the P10-billion ‘Pork Barrel’ scam.

The CA Second Division said covered by the freeze order were the bank accounts of former APEC party-list Rep. Edgar Valdez; former Agusan Del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza; former Benguet Rep. Samuel Dangwa; and former Cagayan de Oro Rep. Constantino Jaraula, Gma News Online reported.

Also included in the freeze order were the bank accounts of Atty. Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, former chief of staff of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Richard Cambe, chief of staff of Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr; Ruby Tuason, a representative of Enrile and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada; Pauline Labayen, staff of Estrada; Jose Sumalpong, chief of staff of former Masbate Rep. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete; and Erwin Dangwa, chief of staff Dangwa.

Reports said Plaza, who according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had amassed P42.1 million from the scam, left the country on September 11 while Tuason left on August 26. The Bureau of Immigration has confirmed that Reyes left the country on August 31, Gma news online reported.

The Court of Appeal said the freeze order which was served to the banks on Wednesday, is effective for three months. The appellate court also ordered the banks covered by the order to submit within 24 hours a return of the freeze order, to show their compliance. The CA order stemmed from an earlier request made by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) through the Office of the Solicitor General, Gma News Online reported.

Reports said those named individuals are among the 38 persons earlier charged with criminal complaints at the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged misuse of P10 billion of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

The CA in August has issued a similar freeze order on the bank accounts and other assets of alleged ‘Pork Barrel’ scam brains Janet Lim-Napoles.

Source: Gma News Online

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