Where Are They Now? 8 Infamous Names in Philippine Corruption
Oct 10, 2025 • Janus Dosequis Harvey
Thanks to the 24/7 news cycle, we run through so many names, personalities, and yes, villains, but forget about them as soon as the next flavor of the week shows up for us to rage over. Maybe that’s okay with the latest guy to throw a non-lethal road rage incident or the next internet influencer to say something ridiculously insensitive, but it should not be okay when it comes to the people who most likely stole our taxes to the tune of hundreds of millions, if not billions.
So let’s take a look at this rogue’s gallery of people who were accused of massive corruption, one way or another, and where they are now.
8. George Triviño: The Broker Behind the “Grandmother of All Scams”
Who he is: A land broker who once held a central role in the controversial PEA-Amari deal during the Ramos administration — a Manila Bay reclamation project later branded by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional.
What he did: Triviño reportedly received massive payouts from Amari Coastal Bay Development Corp. before turning into a reluctant whistleblower, claiming he was “cut out” of the billion-peso deal.
Where he is now: Triviño later resurfaced in Camarines Sur around 2011 as a major investor in a hydroelectric firm. Since then, he’s kept a low profile, far, far away from both reclamation projects and Senate hearings.
7. Romulo Neri: From “Moderate the Greed” to Agriculture Geek
Who he is: The former NEDA Director-General and Budget Secretary who found himself in the middle of the NBN-ZTE broadband scandal under Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
What he did: Neri was accused of approving the overpriced ZTE deal and infamously quoted saying “moderate the greed.” This line became shorthand for bureaucratic corruption.
Where he is now: In 2021, the Supreme Court permanently banned him from public office. These days, he’s rebranded himself as a private-sector advocate for irrigation and water systems. That greed really got moderated, it seems.
6. Joc-Joc Bolante – The Fertilizer Fund Fugitive Turned Ghost
Who he is: Former Agriculture Undersecretary and the alleged mastermind of the Fertilizer Fund Scam, which saw hundreds of millions in farm aid vanish into ghost projects.
What he did: Bolante allegedly funneled public money meant for farmers into fake NGOs and political allies during the 2004 elections.
Where he is now: After years of legal wrangling, most charges against him were dismissed. He’s been largely invisible since, only running for public office once in 2010, losing, and then pretty much being as underground as the fertilizer he allegedly scammed us with ought to have been.
5. Cassandra Ong – The POGO Queen Who Fell to Earth
Who she is: Businesswoman and authorized representative of Lucky South 99, a notorious POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga.
What she did: Ong’s name became synonymous with the dark side of offshore gaming. Yep, that’s trafficking, illegal detention, and cybercrime. Her POGO compound was raided in 2023, revealing hundreds of detained workers.
Where she is now: After a dramatic escape to Indonesia, she was deported back to the Philippines in 2024. Her petition to void human trafficking charges was junked by the Court of Appeals in mid-2025. She remains under indictment and in custody.
4. Joseph Emilio “Jun” Abaya – The Man at the End of the Line
Who he is: Former DOTC Secretary under the Aquino administration, and the man who inherited the MRT-3 mess from decades of mismanagement.
What he did: Abaya approved maintenance contracts for the MRT that were later found irregular, prompting graft charges. He famously admitted signing off on the deals without fully knowing their details.
Where he is now: Cleared by the Ombudsman in 2021, Abaya has since faded from the political spotlight. The MRT still breaks down sometimes, but at least his public image no longer does.
3. Janet Lim-Napoles – The Face That Launched a Thousand NGOs
Via picryl
Who she is: The woman behind the Pork Barrel (PDAF) scam — the biggest political money heist of its era.
What she did: Napoles siphoned billions in lawmakers’ development funds into fake NGOs, handing out kickbacks to politicians who played along.
Where she is now: Convicted and still in prison, Napoles remains a symbol of Philippine corruption. Often used as a quick punchline by comedian Jerald Napoles (no relation, obviously).
2. Alice Guo – The Mayor Who Wasn’t There
Who she is: The “mysterious” former mayor of Bamban, Tarlac. Later on, she was revealed to have deep ties to POGO operations and a highly questionable citizenship status.
What she did: Guo allegedly used her position to shield criminal operations linked to human trafficking and illegal online gambling, all while claiming she “grew up on a pig farm.”
Where she is now: After fleeing to Indonesia, Guo was deported in late 2024 and is now under police custody in the Philippines. In mid-2025, Philippine courts confirmed she wasn’t even a Filipino citizen. From town hall to detention, she’s still allegedly single and very much ready to mingle, if it wasn’t for that detention thing.
1. Zaldy Co – The Vanishing Congressman
Who he is: Former lawmaker and businessman, long linked to anomalous flood control projects and infrastructure allocations.
What he did: Co has been named in Senate probes over massive public works irregularities — from padded budgets to phantom construction.
Where he is now: Officially? Nowhere. Reports say he’s been in hiding since early 2025, evading investigation. Considering the scale of what he’s accused of, “disappearing” might be the most on-brand move possible.
There were those recent photos, though…
Which corruption-linked personalities have you been wondering about recently?
