President Benigno Aquino III and Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon. INQUIRER/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines — President Aquino was aware that Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon was being investigated in connection with the P10-billion pork barrel scam but he did not know of the National Bureau of Investigation’s eventual decision to file charges against him until it was made public, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Tuesday.
She said she did not give Aquino a “heads up” before the charges were filed against Biazon.
She said, however, that she had given the President early on a list of persons the NBI was investigating for having transactions with nongovernment organizations linked to alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, and the list included Biazon who was the Muntinlupa City representative from 2001 to 2010.
“But as to when they [charges] would be filed, the President had no idea,” De Lima said.
She said Aquino’s directive to her was “to just make sure to have enough evidence to support the cases.”
She also made clear the NBI was investigating only the cases of persons who had transacted with Napoles’ NGOs, while the other cases cited in the Commission on Audit’s special audit on the pork barrel would be investigated by the Inter-Agency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council (IAAGCC).
Asked if there were many other persons being investigated, she said she could not confirm that. She also declined to say if they included more allies of President Aquino.
Told that Biazon had described the case against him as weak since there was nothing to link him to Napoles, De Lima said that was Biazon’s “defense” and she could not comment on it.
“It’s up to him. He will have an opportunity to present his defense at the proper time and forum,” she said.
Told that Biazon claimed he was included in the charge sheet at the last minute since the affidavit of key whistle-blower Benhur Luy was executed only two or three days before the actual filing date, De Lima said the lawmakers they had charged were not only accused in supplemental affidavits filed by the whistle-blowers but also in an affidavit “common to all.”
She said the NBI’s investigation of Biazon was thorough and that it took them some time to complete the probe, “as it would be difficult to just go ahead (and file cases) when you are not sure about it.”
She described as “commendable” Biazon’s decision to resign after he and 33 other lawmakers were charged with malversation, direct bribery and graft and corrupt practices in the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly funneling the Priority Development Assistance (Fund), or pork barrel, to dubious NGOs put up by Napoles.
“He took the initiative of filing his resignation and that’s more of delicadeza (propriety). Beyond that I cannot comment,” De Lima told reporters.
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