DOJ takes Cunanan as provisionary state witness

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved Dennis Cunanan, former deputy director general of the Technology Resource Center (TRC), as new provisionary state witness in the multi-billion peso pork barrel fund scam.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Cunanan submitted his statement on Friday morning, which will be used for the case build-up and investigation against those involved in the multi-billion peso fund scam.

Cunanan is among the respondents in the criminal and administrative charges in connection with the pork barrel fund scam filed by the DOJ before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Related: Summary of plunder, malversation complaints vs Napoles, 8 lawmakers

Cunanan also applied to be placed under the Witness Protection Program. His status as state witness will have to be affirmed by the Ombudsman before he is granted immunity from the charges.

De Lima said Cunanan has identified non-government organizations of detained businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles as those implementing livelihood and training projects under the TRC.

Cunanan also corroborated the whistleblowers' accounts that senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada vouched for the credibility and reliability of the fraudulent Napoles NGOs.

"Sa unang pagkakataon, may mula sa implementing agency na sinasabi ngayon ay hindi totoo ang mga sinasabi ng mga tatlong senador sa kanilang respective counter affidavits na wala silang kinalaman sa pagpipili ng mga NGOs," De Lima said.

De Lima said that Cunanan's testimony completes one side of the larger picture as it shows the larger role of the senator-respondents in the Priority Development Assistance Funds scandal.

"Sa tingin po namin ay mahalang yung mga pino-proffer niyang info, facts and data sa kanyang 36-page sworn statement with supporting documents," De Lima said in a televised press conference.

Citing Cunanan's affidavit, De Lima said that Cunanan belied senators' claim that their signatures have been forged in key documents authorizing and endorsing Napoles' NGOs in the said projects to the TRC.

"Wala daw silang kinalaman sa pag-endorse, sa pagsisiguro na ang mga NGOs na 'yan ang mga legitimate ang bona fide. Maling mali po 'yon. In-explain po ng husto 'yan ni Mr. Cunanan sa kanyang sworn statement and backed up by the various documentary evidence," she added.

Ruby Tuason, another provisional state witness, surfaced two weeks and has submitted her affidavit on detailing her participation in the pork barrel fund scam. She has claimed  to have acted as middleman, facilitating transactions between Estrada and Napoles.

She has also been accepted as a provisional state witness.