IF THE CONVICTIONS of prominent personalities behind the infamous pork barrel scandals are any indication of what will happen with the even bigger anomalies surrounding the government-funded flood control projects, it’s that no senators will end up behind bars — at least for now.
This week, the Sandiganbayan Special Third Division found Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles and two others guilty of graft, malversation of public funds, and three counts of malversation of public funds through falsification of documents.
The other two are former National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC) president Gondelina Amata and former Senator Gringo Honasan’s chief political officer, Michael Lim Benjamin.
HONASAN’S ₱29-M PDAF
The case involved the misuse of around ₱29 million worth of PDAF from then-Senator Honasan between 2009 and 2010.Each were sentenced to 12 to 17 years in prison for one count of malversation involving ₱4.05 million, and were fined the same amount.
They were also ordered to return ₱4.05 million to the Bureau of the Treasury with 6% legal interest per annum. For the three counts of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents, the amounts were ₱7.5 million, ₱1.5 million, and ₱1.5 million.
Each conviction carries another 12 to 17 years in jail, plus a fine equal to the amount malversed and restitution of the same amount to the Treasury.
For the graft conviction involving ₱14.55 million, the sentence is six to 10 years in prison. All convictions also carry the perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
Napoles is in jail serving sentences for similar cases, while Amata and Benjamin’s lawyers said they would be filing motions for reconsideration.
HONASAN ABSOLVED
Despite being the head of the office from where the funds originated, Honasan was not charged in the cases.
Sandiganbayan in 2021 junked the graft charges against Honasan after ruling that the prosecution “failed to establish the essential elements of the crime charged and to overcome the presumption of innocence in favor of the accused.”
Honasan was accused of channeling over ₱29 million of PDAF to a non-government organization without public bidding.
NAPOLES AS USUAL
On October 24, 2025, the same Sandiganbayan division acquitted Napoles, former senator and current Presidential Chief Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, and his former chief of staff Gigi Reyes of 15 counts of graft related to the PDAF scam.
The court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Enrile conspired with Reyes and Napoles to receive ₱172.83 million in alleged kickbacks.
The decision stated that there was no civil liability imposed upon Enrile, but Napoles was held civilly liable, ordered to return millions of pesos to the Treasury.
On May 29, 2025, the same division also upheld the acquittal of the three from plunder charges still connected to the PDAF scam.
Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales originally filed the graft and plunder charges in 2014, alleging that Enrile received kickbacks through Reyes from Napoles. Enrile was granted bail in 2015 on humanitarian grounds due to his old age and medical condition.
NAPOLES LEFT BEHIND
Aside from Enrile, other senators heavily indicted in the PDAF scam were Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla Jr.In 2018, Revilla was acquitted of plunder charges, while his chief of staff Richard Cambe and Napoles were found guilty. He later posted bail.
In 2021, the Sandiganbayan cleared Revilla of all 16 counts of graft after granting his demurrer to evidence.
Napoles, however, was denied the same plea and remained convicted, while Cambe died of a stroke while imprisoned at the New Bilibid Prison.
NO MORE WAY OUT
In Estrada’s case, he was acquitted of plunder but initially convicted of direct and indirect bribery in 2023, though the bribery convictions were later reversed.
The court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove that Estrada amassed ₱50 million in ill-gotten wealth, but confirmed that NGOs controlled by Napoles received ₱262 million worth of Special Allotment Release Orders (SAROs) for ghost projects.
The Sandiganbayan ordered Estrada to pay a ₱3 million fine, while Napoles was ordered to return ₱262.034 million to the government with 6% annual interest.
Meanwhile, after being allowed to post bail in 2017, Estrada continues to face pending graft cases and is now among those implicated in the ongoing flood control project scandal.
civil liability in the amount of P338 million was established; hence, the order to pay the government.
as to the criminal liability of graft and plunder, they were absolved! it is very difficult to comprehend the apparent disconnect as the civil liability presupposes there was embezzlement of government funds; otherwise, the government may be guilty of unjust enrichment when the Court ordered them to pay. embezzlement did occur without criminal culpabilities among the respondents? 😞