Sen. Kiko Pangilinan Recalls ‘Napoles Case’ during Senate Investigation of Multi-Billion Flood Control Mess in PH
KIKO PANGILINAN – The Senator mentioned the ‘Napoles Case’ or the controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF scam during the Senate hearing over the flood control issue.
The Senate continued its investigation on the flood control mess in the Philippines. Now, both the upper chamber and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) that President Bongbong Marcos ordered to be created are looking into the issue.
In the case of the House of Representatives, newly-elected House Speaker Bojie Dy claimed that the flood control probe is best left to the ICI. Several congressmen and senators are linked to the issue.
Recently, the Senate conducted another hearing over the flood control issue in the Philippines now. The investigation is led by the Blue Ribbon Committee which is chaired by Sen. Ping Lacson. Prior to the Senate shakeup, it was chaired by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta.
The upper chamber had a change of leadership amid the flood control issue in the country. Former Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero was ousted and replaced by former Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto in the Senate presidency after he earned countless criticisms and accusations for receiving a P30-million campaign donation from a contractor.
Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva are also linked into the flood control issue. They are among the personalities that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) ordered to be charged. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, during the most recent Senate flood probe, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan mentioned the controversial PDAF scam or also known as the “Napoles Case” at the hearing.
According to Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, if only the PDAF scam ended with conviction rather than acquittal, the flood control issue might have not happened. Based on the report, he stressed that the issue then involved plunder cases but the accused were acquitted.
Among those who were involved in the issue were Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, former Sen. Bong Revilla, and Janet Lim-Napoles. It was in July 2024 when Estrada and Napoles were acquitted of plunder while Revilla was acquitted of the same case in 2018.
“Siguro kung ‘yung Napoles case e nauwi sa halip na abswelto e kulong, baka ‘di na nangyari ang malaking kurakot. Plunder kaso non e, nakakulong na nga e naabswelto. So ang dulo nitong lahat e sa hudikatura,” Sen. Kiko Pangilinan said.
During the latest Senate flood control probe, the name of former Sen. Bong Revilla was also linked to the flood control mess after he was mentioned by Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara.