Roxas to Revilla: Spinning lies not the solution

By: Bong Lozada - 10 years ago

Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II. INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines— Stop spinning lies and don’t veer away from the issue.

That was the advice Monday of Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II to Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. after the latter’s emotional privilege speech at the Senate to deny involvement in the pork barrel scam.

In a statement, Roxas said he understood Revilla’s anger, especially because the Commission on Audit has the documents that support Revilla’s involvement in the scam.

The former senator, however, said that veering away from the pork barrel scam and telling lies is not a step ladder out of Revilla’s pit of despair.

“I understand why Senator Bong Revilla is angry at the world,” Roxas said. “But veering away from the issue, breaking the truths and fooling the people is not the solution to the problem.”

“He just has to answer to the witnesses that testified against him and explain the documents that link him to the Napoles scam.”

Roxas said that President Benigno Aquino III, naturally, has to meet with the officials of the country.

According to Roxas, he even personally arranged the meeting of Aquino and Revilla regarding the cityhood of Bacoor and Revilla’s wish to be the head of Lakas party as they were all fellow senators before.

“During that time (when the meeting was supposed to happen) the President was not in Malacañang as he was in Bahay Pangarap,” Roxas said in the statement. “Not to bother Senator Bong with all the regulations of the Presidential Security Group, I personally drove Senator Bong to Bahay Pangarap.”

Roxas clarified that he does not use official plates on his car. Instead, he uses the plates that the Land Transportation Office issues to new car-owners when Revilla accused him of removing his car plate en route to Bahay Pangarap.