Drilon faces another complaint before Ombudsman

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Franklin Drilon is facing another complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Drilon was charged with plunder, dishonesty, malversation of public funds and grave misconduct by journalist Manuel Mejorada on Friday.

Former congressman Augusto Syjuco Jr. had earlier filed separate cases of plunder against the Senate leader for allegedly pocketing P60.5 million from the anomalous purchase of a 16.2-hectare property in Iloilo seven years ago and for allegedly receiving kickbacks from the 1992 construction of the Iloilo Justice Hall wherein substandard materials and equipment were used to build a structurally weak and dangerous building.

Drilon, however, expressed confidence that the ombudsman will dismiss the charges filed against him by Syjuco and Mejorada.

Mejorada was Drilon’s former consultant.

“This is the second nuisance case filed against me by my former consultant whom I fired after I learned that he was illegally using my Twitter account to hit and besmirch the reputation of the mayor of Iloilo City when the latter refused to appoint him as city administrator,” the senator said.

“I deny all the allegations. There is no truth to them. They manipulated the facts,” he added.

In accusing Drilon of plunder, Mejorada alleged that the senator has knowledge in the overpriced purchase of land for a relocation site in Iloilo City using his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel.