The mother of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Estelita, and alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles are in cahoots in the anomalous supply of substandard Kevlar helmets to soldiers in 1998, President Rodrigo Duterte said.
“The number one graft and corruption in the PMA (Philippine Military Academy) involves his father and even his mother. Remember the Kevlar? It’s a helmet that should be strong, where bullets can’t penetrate. That’s Kevlar,” Duterte said in a speech in Davao City.
“The delivery was done by the mother of Trillanes and Napoles. That is the truth. That’s why the deal was reviewed,” he added.
It was the first time that Mr. Duterte alleged the link between Estelita Trillanes and Napoles but he made a similar claim last year that the senator’s mother had transactions with the Philippine Navy when Trillanes and his deceased father Antonio Sr. were still serving in the military.
In September last year during a televised one-on-one interview with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, Mr. Duterte warned Trillanes that if he goes too far in hurling unsubstantiated allegations against members of his family, “we will initiate an investigation like you did and I will subpoena your mother whether you like it or not. You may say we have no power to do that, but there is.”
The President, who is a long-time lawyer, said the government has the power to cite for contempt “but we have to go to court.”
Mr. Duterte alleged that supply deals of Estelita with the Navy would constitute conflict of interest as he added the govern`1ment was “investigating the deals quietly.”
Napoles tentacles
Trillanes claimed his mother is suffering from advanced Parkinson’s disease and resented her being dragged by the President “into their political squabble.” The opposition senator said no cases have been filed against his mother despite the attacks launched.
Despite his denials, the Supreme Court (SC) had noted in 2014 the extensive links of Napoles with government to keep the anomaly under wraps.
In 2010, the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division acquitted Napoles of charges for conspiracy with public officials in the malversation of public funds through the falsification of public documents and violation of the Anti-Graft Law.
An SC inquiry in 2014 found then-Sandiganbayan Fourth Division chairman Justice Gregory Ong was Napoles’ contact in connection with the Kevlar case while it was pending in his division.
Ong allegedly received money from Napoles prior to the release of the decision in the Kevlar case. Ong was later dismissed by the high court.
P3.8-M supply deal
Based on court documents, Napoles, using her military connections, sealed a P3.8-million deal in 1998 to deliver 500 Kevlar helmets to the Philippine Marines.
Napoles’ signature was nowhere in the deal and instead, her mother, brother and sister-in-law created dubious companies that participated in the bidding.
Her husband, now retired Maj. Jaime Napoles of the Marines, was initially charged for failing to investigate the existence of dubious suppliers and his failure to explain the issuance of all 14 checks to his wife. He was however dropped eventually from the case for lack of evidence.
Five suppliers participated in the supposed bidding, submitting similar price quotations. The contract was eventually awarded to 7 firms in 1998, only one of which was accredited by the Marines, according to court records. The rest were either non-existent or carried residential addresses.
Split contracts
Given the total amount of the contract — P3.8 million — it required the signature of the Armed Forces chief of staff at the time. To go around the signing threshold, according to the Ombudsman’s case filed with the court, the Marines split the contract into 14 identical purchase orders each amounting to P293,763.56.
Because of the lower amount, the signing authority for the split contracts was confined to the Philippine Marine Corps Commandant who was Lt. Gen Edgardo Espinosa at that time.
On 7 January 1999, without any delivery, the Philippine Marines issued full payment for the procurement of 500 Kevlar helmets. All 14 checks were immediately encashed on the same day in Napoles’ bank account.
Source and Original Article from: >>> The Daily Tribune
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