By CZARINA NICOLE O. ONG
The Sandiganbayan Second Division yesterday ordered the arrest of Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” B. Honasan II for graft charges over the alleged misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund or “pork barrel fund” worth P30 million in 2012.
In a resolution issued August 7, the Sandiganbayan found sufficient probable cause to put Honasan on trial and ordered his arrest for violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act along with nine others.
They are his political affairs and project coordinator Michael Benjamin, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Secretary Mehol Sadain; NCMF officials Fedelina Aldanese, Galay Makalinggan, Aurora Aragon-Mabang, and Olga Galidol, and Focus Development Goals Foundation Inc. officials Giovanni Manuel Gaerlan and Salvador Gaerlan.
The resolution was signed by division chairperson Associate Justice Oscar Herrera Jr. and members Associate Justices Michael Frederick Musngi and Lorifel Pahimna.
The Ombudsman indicted Honasan for two counts of graft when he released R29.1 million in pork barrel funds to the NCMF in April 2012 to help small and medium-scale livelihood projects for Muslim Filipinos in the National Capital Region and Zambales.
Honasan endorsed Focus Development Goals Foundation Inc. in June 2012 as the implementing non-government organization without the benefit of compliance with procurement regulations, according to the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman said that the check and disbursement voucher dated May 30, 2012 were prepared for Focus even before the NGO was informed it was qualified to undertake the project on June 4, 2012.
Honasan also allegedly approved the release of the pork barrel funds in two tranches totaling P29.1 million in favor of Focus, the Ombudsman added.
The Ombudsman filed the graft charges against Honasan and his co-accused last August 1 and the case was raffled to the Second Division last August 4.
Bail is set at R30,000 for each count of graft. Mabang, Galido, Sadain, and Aldanese have posted bail. Honasan, Benjamin, Makalinggan, and the two Gaerlans have yet to.
Honasan is the fourth senator to be charged for alleged role in pork barrel fund scam first exposed in 2013. The first three are former Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.
The Supreme Court has declared the PDAF unconstitutional several months later.
