Perez-MJ spat on extort try turns to fish

From charges of $2-million extortion, the word war between the camps of Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez and Justice Secretary-on leave Hernando Perez has gone to the fishes — in particular, galunggong.

Lawyer Agnes Devanadera, spokeswoman for the 12-member legal panel defending Perez, disputed allegations of Jimenez that she has been going to the congressman’s Forbes Park residence to seek financial assistance.

On the contrary it was Jimenez, she said, who received plenty of first class fresh fish, including giant galunggong sometimes called salmon by the market vendor, from local officials of Mauban and Sampaloc towns in Quezon.

Devanadera said the other day that the supposed Trade and Commerce Bank of Jimenez in Uruguay is non-existent.

Jimenez’s camp then promptly trained their guns on her and in turn said the lawyer had been a constant visitor to the Jimenez residence seeking financial assistance.

Yesterday, Jimenez disputed the Perez’s camp claims that the Trade and Commerce bank from where the $2-million extortion money came from does not exist.

"Nani (Perez) and Devanadera are again burying their heads in the sand. Of course, they won’t find the Trade and Commerce Bank in Uruguay because it is located in the Cayman Islands. What I said was that the order for the release of the $2 million came from Uruguay," the Manila lawmaker said in a statement.

"Any Tom, Dick and Harry could easily establish the bank’s existence by simply opening up the Internet and access the bank through www.goggle.com or www.transnationale.org/anglais/etn.htm and Nani and Agnes would be pleasantly surprised the bank indeed exists," Jimenez said.

"It is not important to find out from which bank the $2 million came from since what’s material is the issue is where the money ultimately ended up," he added.