Aklan guv denies involvement in Napoles scam

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores strongly denied involvement in the pork barrel scam after he was included in the so-called Janet Napoles list.

The accused pork scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles tagged former and current senators, current and former members of House of Representatives and Cabinet members. 

They allegedly received kickbacks after allocating part of their congressional insertions and Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to bogus non-government organizations of Napoles. 

“I could categorically say that I have no dealings whatsoever with Mrs. Napoles. I had never met her or deal with her organizations during my term as congressman. Hindi ko imaw kilaea,” said Miraflores, who served as Aklan congressman from 2001 to 2010. 

“Gina dahanan ko ro pondo it gobyerno para sa kamaeayran it mga pumueoyo sa Aklan. Akon nga pag panerbisyo hay hantup gid sa akong tagipusoon.”

“I never transacted with her in my nine years in Congress. I would rather welcome deeper investigations to probe those involved in pork barrel scam, why our names were included in the list,” he stated.

Miraflores said, “from 2008 to 2013, he never gave funds to non-government organizations and to Napoles related organizations, but he allocated funds to government agencies and local government units.” 

In 2007, Miraflores admitted he allocated funds to Uswag Pilipinas, a non-Napoles NGO. Uswag Pilipinas distributed farm implements, water pumps and hand tractors in various cooperatives in Aklan. 

“Gasalig ako sa mga Akeanon nga kilaea nanda ro akun nga pagkatawo, napakita ko man ro sinseridad ag kun paano naton napauswag ro Akean,” he added. 

Napoles is facing plunder cases for conniving with government officials to channel their pork barrel funds to dubious non-government organizations.