Former Philippine President and now congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and 21 other former and current government officials, and other private individuals were charged Thursday with plunder for alleged misuse of 900 million pesos (20.74 million US dollars) Malampaya fund in 2009.

Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, whose office has the jurisdiction over the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) which conducted the investigation, led the filing of complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Aside from Arroyo, also charged with plunder were her former Cabinet officials such as then Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, then Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya, and then Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman.

Janet Lim-Napoles, alleged brain in the supposed 10 billion pesos (230.41 million US dollars) pork barrel scam, and officials of the bogus non-government organizations, which she allegedly formed, were also included in the complaint.

Some of those who were included in the complaint were also facing violation of anti-graft and corrupt practices act.

According to De Lima, even before an executive order was issued by Arroyo on Oct. 13, 2009, there was already a request for authorization to access the Malampaya fund, the royalties that the national government received from Malampaya project off Palawan province.

The 900 million pesos, which was given to fake NGOs, were supposed to benefit victims of Tropical Storm Ketsana (local name Ondoy) and Typhoon Parma (local name Pepeng) in the latter part of 2009.

De Lima said that Napoles' NGOs falsified the signatures of the supposed local officials whose areas were hit by the two weather disturbances.