Liamson Times: Senator Faces Money Dukotz

== Senator faces money laundering charges amid pork barrel scandal ==
Althea K. Lucente | 4:15 PM | November 13, 2014
The Supreme Court has indicted alleged pork barrel scam backer Sen. Alamano Mercado and four of his staff for helping to funnel in and out about 150 million pesos through casinos in public funds gained through a bribery and fraud scheme under Basic Development Assistance Fund (BDAF).
The Supreme Court said in a recently published statement that among those indicted for conspiring in domestic money laundering and plunder are:
Marlon Sagun - 45, former senator, actor, and film star
Billie D. Conese - 36, multi-corporation entrepreneur
Venus Kaye Mamaril - 28, businesswoman, investor
Morena Palma Kupitera - 59, former senator and film star
Three defendants, working with some 20 other officials, funneled into Mercado's ghost non-government organizations and non-profits from government funds especially including lawmakers' BDAF.
The National Commission of Investigation is already investigating a Chinese-Filipino, even before the hearing started, who allegedly played a key role in the laundering operation using a controversial loophole of the existing Anti-Money Laundering Law.
"We know there's still a considerable number of people out there involved in the BDAF scam, hiding, yet to be uncovered as we trace every document and dig through evidences dating back up to last year. Rest assured we will track you down and bring this deceit to a full stop. All I can say to them is, keep hiding as long as you could," said NCI Director Manny Longga.
In addition, Securities and Exchange Commission Director Harold Venecia has expressed fears that the Philippines may become a hotspot of money laundering where illegal circulation of money is concentrated. Venecia spoke up in an official statement where, amid hard times recovering from severe damages caused by The Ruling, he demands improvement in legislation, cleanliness, and transparency from the government executives. Learn more about this story here.
After being ruled unconstitutional last year by SC due to numerous loopholes such as external intervention and legal possibility of misuse, BDAF had finally been junked after almost 25 years of implementation into law. BDAF was intended for small-scale hard and soft projects that legislators themselves shall champion besides large-scale national projects, but only a fraction of the sum had been reportedly getting to the communities in need, especially those in rural and provincial areas.
Related:
Liamson Times: Sec Director Venecia
Liamson Times: Timeline BDAF Scam