DOJ should do lifestyle check on Cunanan
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe on Monday raised questions on "provisionary" pork barrel scam witness Dennis Cunanan as he is the only government official among the other whistleblowers.
"Here's my only apprehension about Mr. Cunanan: One thing is the difference between him and the other whistleblower, is he was ... a government employee," Poe said in an interview on ABS-CBN's Mornings with ANC.
Cunanan was chief of the Technology Resource Center (TRC) and took a leave after he was charged with graft for his involvement in the pork barrel fund scam allegedly masterminded by businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.
Napoles is currently detained on charges of serious illegal detention filed by lead whistleblower Benhur Luy.
Last Friday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) took Cunanan as "provisionary" state witness in the pork-related charges filed against several respondents, including Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., former members of the House of Representatives and their chiefs of staff.
If the Office of the Ombudsman approves Cunanan's application to become state witness, he will be given immunity from the charges.
Poe, however, questioned whether Cunanan did what he could to prevent the scams from taking place.
"His responsibility is much higher than those others. There's the question again of his own impropriety," Poe added.
No more gov't position
"If in case we accept him, he should not be allowed anymore to take any government position or even in a private institution that will have to deal with any government contracts. Why? Because it was his responsibility to prevent those things from happening," Poe said.
The senator also urged the DOJ to establish Cunanan's credibility by conducting a background check and review of his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth ( SALN).
"Maybe before we accept other whistleblowers [who are] government officials, let's ask for their SALN, do a lifestyle check, things like that," she said.
Poe said that even when Cunanan claims he did not earn kickbacks from the lawmakers' Priority Development Assistance Funds ghost projects, the DOJ should still investigate.
"I think that we should be very selective, it might help our case, but at the very least, if we'll take him into the Witness Protection [Program], he has to return whatever he may have benefited. Is he transparent about himself?" Poe said.
"I think we have to look at the character of the people we take in, at least those from government," she explained.
Cunanan said in his sworn affidavit submitted to the DOJ that Estrada, Revilla and Enrile endorsed Napoles' fraudulent non-government organizations to the TRC as recipient organizations of funds.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, meanwhile, maintained that Cunanan's statement is "plausible and credible and has value added."
Cunanan came out after Ruby Tuason was taken as "provisionary" state witness following her return to the country and submission of an affidavit detailing her supposed knowledge in the illegal transactions entered into by Estrada and Enrile.
Two more officials from the National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR), who have also been charged in relation to the pork barrel scam, have reportedly expressed willingness to turn state witnesses.
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