Koko blows top over non-PDAF scam

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Koko Pimentel on Thursday said he will ask the Senate to investigate a possible scam that saw alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles get organic funds of the Department of Agriculture. Speaking before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the pork barrel scam, Pimentel said he will file a resolution to investigate why a November 20, 2012 memorandum of agreement between the DA and the government of Surigao del Sur mentioned his name as receiving funds from DA’s Organic Agriculture Program. The MOA was signed by Agriculture Undersecretary Antonio Fleta and Governor Johnny Pimentel and the funds coursed to Surigao del Sur. "I will file a resolution with the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to also investigate non-PDAF scam because this MOA concerns 10 million pesos mentions my name in the whereas clause. It is not a MOA of my office and the DA. It is a MOA between the DA and Surigao del Sur. It mentions my name as a chosen beneficiary of a certain amount and then mentions the fact that I have chosen the ultimate beneficiary, the province of Surigao del Sur," Pimentel told senators. Pimentel said he could not have asked for allocations from the DA since he had only used P8 million of his P200 million yearly pork barrel allocation for 2013. "P192 million hindi nagalaw tapos pati non-PDAF pakikialaman ko pa," he said. ANC, September 26, 2013