THE Sandiganbayan on Friday rescheduled to May 11 the arraignment of the respondents in the P900-million Malampaya fund scam.
The respondents include Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., Masui City, Lanao del Sur Mayor Nasser Pangandaman, and alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.
At the anti-graft court’s Third Division proceedings, Associate Justice Bernelito Fernandez reset the arraignment in light of pending motions of Andaya, Pangandaman, pork barrel scam state witness Ruby Tuason, Napoles and her children Jo Christine and James Christopher.
The arraignment of the respondents was first called off last Feb. 23.
The Ombudsman charged the respondents with 97 counts each of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and malversation of public funds by falsification of public documents
The respondents are accused of diverting P900 million from the Malampaya fund allocated by DBM to DAR between 2009 to 2010 and in the process using 12 Napoles-led non-government organizations as conduits to the fraud.
Andaya allegedly approved the request of DAR and signed the Special Allotment Release Order and Notice of Cash Allocation requested by Pangandaman even prior to the review of the DBM’s budget and management bureau.
Andaya was charged with allegedly conspiring with former president and now incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in tapping the Malampaya funds for the rehabilitation of “Ondoy”-damaged areas.
However, the Ombudsman dismissed the case against Arroyo, despite the fact that it was she who ordered Andaya to release the funds.