PMP: File perjury raps vs Chavit

The opposition Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) challenged yesterday the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Office of the Ombudsman to charge former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson with perjury for allegedly "continuously lying" in his testimonies in the trial of jailed former President Joseph Estrada.

PMP spokesman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Singson should be held accountable for his "repeated lying" before the special division of the Sandiganbayan trying Estrada’s plunder case, and for admitting that he "tampered with evidence that benefited himself."

Remulla said Singson failed to disclose ownership of the yacht M/V Escalera in his statement of assets and liabilities, making him liable for perjury.

Singson told the Sandiganbayan on Monday that he bought the Escalera from an unidentified owner in Hong Kong using money he won in mahjong games. He said, however, that the yacht was also owned by "several others" whom he did not identify.

"This admission of ownership based on Singson’s sworn testimony before the court is sufficient ground for (NBI Director Reynaldo) Wycoco and the Office of the Ombudsman to go after Singson with the same eagerness they demonstrated in going after Senator (Panfilo) Lacson," Remulla said in a statement.

Remulla said Singson’s statement of assets and liabilities (SAL) "should be scrutinized by the NBI word for word and line by line to determine if (he) has fully declared the extent of his wealth and not cheating the government."

Wycoco should show to the public that the NBI was not "discriminatory" in prosecuting government officials, he said.

Remulla noted that Wycoco had announced last week that the NBI had filed perjury charges against Lacson for alleged failure to fully disclose his wealth in his SAL, which violated Republic Act 6173 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Government Officials and Employees.

Acting Ombudsman Margarito Gervacio "not only sustained" Wycoco’s recommendation on Lacson, but "expressed elation" on Monday over the ruling of the Special Division of Sandiganbayan that froze the assets of Estrada, which was based on the still-to-be-concluded testimony of Singson, he said.