Liberal Party not easing out Tesda chief

MANILA, Philippines - The ruling Liberal Party is not easing out Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) chief Joel Villanueva from its senatorial ticket in the 2016 elections, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said yesterday.

Abad, a leader of the ruling party, made the statement in reaction to the reported claim of Villanueva that the LP and outgoing Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, the administration presidential candidate, want him out of President Aquino’s Cabinet and the LP senatorial slate.

The TESDA chief, a close friend of Aquino, is eyeing to be part of the LP ticket. He surmised that the decision of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in including him in the third batch of respondents in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) cases was part of efforts to remove him from the slate.

“That’s not true. I don’t think Secretary Roxas is easing him out. He will not do that to an ally,” Abad said.

He said the administration is “color blind” insofar as the PDAF cases and alleged acts of wrongdoing are concerned.

“I mean the DOJ will file a case against you, whether you are a political ally or foe, if it has the evidence,” he said.

He added that Villanueva should not read politics in the DOJ’s decision to charge him.

The TESDA chief was included in the third batch of PDAF cases in connection with the alleged misuse of his pork barrel funds when he was a congressman representing party-list group Citizens Battle Against Corruption. He has denied the accusation.

Also charged were Sen. Gregorio Honasan and several incumbent and former congressmen who, like Villanueva, denied the charges against them.

The camp of detained alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles claimed that more senators and members of the House of Representatives should have been charged.