Palace shuts up on Cunanan

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang is keeping its mouth shut on the fate of pork barrel scam witness Dennis Cunanan and is leaving it up to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to decide if he can qualify as a state witness.

In a press briefing yesterday, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had announced that the DOJ would review the testimony of Cunanan.

Cunanan is on leave as director general of the Technology Resource Center (TRC), which received hundreds of millions in pork barrel funds from several senators and members of the House of Representatives. 

He was charged with plunder for his alleged involvement in the scam, but wants to become a state witness in the case.

“When they interviewed Mr. Cunanan, he was very adamant in saying… he did not receive any kickback. But what is important with the testimony of Mr. Cunanan was he was able to give an information that only he could give,” Lacierda said.

But Lacierda clarified that De Lima would review Cunanan’s testimony because whistleblower Benhur Luy testified that Cunanan received P960,000 in kickback.

Luy claimed that he saw Cunanan leaving the office of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet-Lim Napoles carrying a paper bag that contained the money.

Cunanan denied having received any money but he said he was trying to remember if he did visit Napoles’ office as part of TRC officials’ regular duties to inspect the NGOs accredited by the agency to implement projects funded by the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or congressional pork barrel.

De Lima said she did not think the credibility of Cunanan and Luy would be affected by their conflicting testimonies, but she admitted that this “complicated” the situation.

But De Lima stressed that the value of Cunanan’s testimony was his allegation that Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile had contacted him to follow up on the ghost projects to be funded by their PDAF.

Testifying before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, Cunanan said the three senators submitted similarly worded project proposals to the TRC to course their PDAF allocations to pre-selected NGOs that were later found to be controlled by Napoles.

Bong, Jinggoy preparing speeches

Revilla and Estrada are now preparing to deliver privilege speeches before the congressional break on Thursday in a bid to denounce anew the administration’s alleged efforts to pin down them down on the pork barrel scam.

Revilla refused to divulge the contents of his privilege speech, but he hinted there are many faults one may find under the present administration.

“Baka bumangon ulit ang panday niyan, hampitin sila ng espada (Blacksmith might rise and wield his sword),” Revilla, who played a role as blacksmith in the movies, said in jest.

Revilla also decried anew the continuing attempts to destroy him and his family’s reputation after senators found inconsistencies in the testimony of Cunanan.

“We can really see how desperate this administration is because they had to get a counterpart of Ruby Tuason to pin me down. They got Dennis Cunanan, whose inconsistencies and unreliability cropped up during the hearing. You see that he is lying,” the senator added.

Asked if Cunanan’s appearance weakened the government’s case against him, Revilla reiterated that the developments show that there is no direct witness against him. “These are all based on hearsay.”

He also reiterated that he does not know Cunanan personally nor has he talked to him about the PDAF-funded projects coursed through NGOs linked to Napoles.

Estrada, meanwhile, said there is no need for De Lima to work on the inconsistencies of Cunanan and Luy’s statements.

“There is no nothing to fix. Sirang sira na siya (He has come undone). He was lying under oath,” Estrada said.

Estrada also shared Revilla’s stand that the administration could be behind the smear campaign against him and his colleagues, but he stopped short of accusing President Aquino as being involved in the campaign.

“No. I am not saying that it is the President who has a hand in this,” Estrada said, adding that everything has to do with the upcoming 2016 elections.

Last Sunday evening, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada admitted that he is hurt that his son Jinggoy is being subjected to trial by publicity.

“I am hurt. I know how it feels because I experienced the same trial by publicity,” Estrada said in an interview with broadcast journalist Jessica Soho.

But Estrada said Jinggoy can defend himself because he is innocent and strong.

Bagatsing: Cunanan lied

Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing, meanwhile, branded as an “outright lie” the allegation of Cunanan that he funneled pork barrel funds to bogus NGOs linked to Napoles.

“It is not true that I gave P8 million of my Priority Development Assistance Fund to the Technology Resource Center as claimed by Cunanan in his affidavit,” Bagatsing said.

Bagastsing added he was not a congressman from 2005 to 2007, the period Cunanan claimed the TRC received P8 million from his PDAF.

“Cunanan should issue a public apology for making a false accusation and maliciously dragging my name in a scam in which I have no involvement whatsoever,” he said.

An apology by Cunanan would “serve to clear my name and rectify whatever damage has been done to my reputation as a duly-elected representative in the city of Manila,” the lawmaker added.

If Cunanan does not issue such an apology, Bagatsing said he would take legal action against the TRC officer.

Bagatsing also asked the DOJ to rethink its acceptance of Cunanan as a whistleblower and its plan to turn him into a state witness. He noted that some senators, including Grace Poe and Aquilino Pimentel lll, have questioned the new witness’ credibility.

 -with Jess Diaz, Christina Mendez, Jose Rodel Clapano, Aie Balagtas See