The Philippine Star

Another PDAF scam whistle-blower drops Baligod as counsel

- By AIE BALAGTAS SEE

key whistle-blower in the pork barrel fund scam on Friday dropped lawyer Levito Baligod as legal counsel in the case.

In a one- page letter addressed to Baligod, Merlina Suñas said she has decided to continue her battles without Baligod guiding her.

Suñas told Baligod: “I am thankful that for more than a year now, you have stood beside me despite all the difficulti­es that we encountere­d along the way. Regrettabl­y, I have decided to continue my battles without you guiding me.”

“With deepest gratitude for our friendship, I formally release you from your obligation to litigate on my behalf and to represent me as my legal counsel effective 23 May, 2014,” Suñas wrote.

The National Bureau of Investigat­ion, which handles the pork barrel scam investigat­ion, forwarded a copy of the letter to the Office of the Ombudsman.

Suñas is the second whistleblo­wer to drop Baligod. She followed the decision of principal whistle-blower Benhur Luy, who let go of the lawyer last March.

Suñas, Luy and four other witnesses blew the whistle on businesswo­man Janet Lim-Napoles, the accused mastermind of the scam where lawmakers allegedly embezzled billions of public funds through ghost projects and dubious nongovernm­ent organizati­ons.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Philippines