UNA defends Enrile on cash gifts controversy

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The opposition coalition on Saturday rallied behind Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, saying the controversy surrounding his cash-giving spree to colleagues in the chamber last Christmas was a political move to discredit the longtime lawmaker.

The United Nationalist Alliance expressed its support to Enrile, a member of its Executive Committee, after the official was exposed for giving out millions in cash to senators out of the Senate’s savings.

Saying the cash gifts were above board according to the Commission on Audit itself, UNA linked the release of information about the savings disbursement to an effort to discredit Enrile ahead of the May 2013 elections.

Apart from serving as a coalition leader, Enrile is fielding his son and namesake, Juan Ponce Enrile Jr., in the May midterm polls.

“It is obvious that the allegations against the Senate President – first made by a source who refused to be named – are baseless and can be safely dismissed as pure political grandstanding,” said the UNA Secretary General, Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco.

In an apparent reference to the ruling Liberal Party, UNA said the issue could be part of “an attempt to malign the character” of Enrile after he and other coalition leaders expressed support for suspended Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia.

Calling the suspension irregular, UNA had said the removal of Garcia, as ordered by political foe Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas, was aimed at taking control of vote-rich Cebu in time for the May elections.

“We hope that this is not part of a sinister smear campaign against UNA leaders for standing up against political harassment, the abuse of power, and disregard for the rule of law and due process,” Tiangco said in a statement.

“There are certain parties who will use this supposed controversy to advance their own agenda of instigating a leadership change in the Senate. Such a move would be ill-advised and politically provocative,” he added.

Enrile admitted to releasing additional funds for Senators over Christmas break, information that first came out in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Inquirer story showed that Enrile had given P1.6 million to 18 senators and only P250,000 to Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senators Pia Cayetano, Miriam Defensor Santiago and Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, all of whom are known to be the Senate President’s foes.

But UNA said Enrile has long complied with COA rules in the use of the Senate budget.

“UNA reiterates its commitment to good governance, transparency, accountability and independence. These are principles that everyone in the political alliance, including Senate President Enrile, has sworn to uphold and protect,” said UNA.