‘Surigao town no recipient of pork barrel’

A SURIGAO mayor  on Tuesday  denied having received any projects funded”¨by former  representative Edgar Valdez for non-government organizations engineered”¨by Janet Lim Napoles, now in jail for serious illegal detention at”¨the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City.

The town mayor – Ramon Mondano – maintained  the town had never”¨been in the list of the project recipients  despite a special audit report of the Commission on Audit”¨showing Mainit town was a beneficiary of 166 farm kits as part of”¨agricultural projects funded by Valdez’s pork barrel fund in 2007″¨until 2009. Valdez represented Apec party list.”¨          

During Valdez’s bail plea hearing at the Fifth Division of the”¨Sandiganbayan, Mondano as prosecution witness maintained they had”¨their own agricultural programs and projects for their farmers called”¨“palayang bayan,” and had not benefited from any livelihood packages”¨from Valdez’s Priority Development Assistance Fund.”¨          

The Office of the Ombudsman found probable cause to indict”¨Valdez based on the CoA report and sworn affidavits of the”¨whistleblowers, accusing him of involvement in the pork barrel fund”¨scam.”¨           Mondano, who became mayor from 2007 to 2010 and was re-elected”¨in 2013, said even congressmen in Surigao del Norte had their own farm”¨projects between 2007 and 2009.”¨          “¨        

Benhur Luy, and the other whistleblowers Marina Sula and Merlina”¨Suñas said they forged numerous documents and list of beneficiaries,”¨delivery receipts, acknowledgement forms, disbursement vouchers and”¨memoranda of agreements for the legislators and Napoles.