Sandiganbayan issues HDO against Jinggoy, Napoles and 12 others

Sandiganbayan Building along Commonwealth, Quezon City. Photo courtesy of DGR Law Offices.

MANILA — Senator Jinggoy Estrada and alleged pork barrel scam queen Janet Lim Napoles plus 12 other co-accused in the priority development assistance fund (PDAF) misuse were barred from traveling abroad after the Sandiganbayan issued hold departure orders (HDO) against them on Monday.

The respondents were charged with plunder and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for allegedly pocketing millions of pesos in kickback after channeling part of the lawmakers’ PDAF to bogus non-governmental organizations.

Aside from Estrada and Napoles, other respondents issued with HDO were Paulene Therese Labayen, John Raymund De Asis, Mario Relampagos, Rosario Nunez, Lalaine Paule, Marilou Bare, Allan Javellana, Rhodora Mendoza, Maria Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, Victor Roman Cacal, Maria Ninez Guanizo and Romulo Relevo.

In the resolution signed by Sandiganbayan Fifth Division Presiding Judge Rolando Jurado and Associate Justices Alexander Gesmundo and Alex Quiroz, the court restrained Estrada and three other co-respondents in the multibillion- peso “pork barrel” scam from leaving the country.

The lawmaker allegedly pocketed P183-million after he channeled hundreds of millions of pesos of his PDAF allocations to fake NGOs created and controlled by Napoles, the suspected ‘pork barrel’ scam mastermind.

The Fifth Division also issued a separate HDO against Estrada and 13 others for 11 counts of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act filed against the lawmaker.

The Office of the Ombudsman earlier found probable cause to indict Senators Ramon Revilla Jr.

with one count of plunder and 16 counts of graft; Juan Ponce Enrile with one count of plunder and 15 counts of graft; and Estrada with one count of plunder and 11 counts of graft.