Palace: Revilla should explain how he used his PDAF

By: Kristine Angeli Sabillo - 11 years ago

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The Palace on Tuesday turned the tables on Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., saying his privilege speech would have been a good opportunity to explain where he used his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Revilla, in his privilege speech on Monday, denied having anything to do with illegal use of pork barrel funds and then accused President Benigno Aquino III of meddling in the Senate’s impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said what happened was an attempt by Revilla to divert attention from his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

“The privilege speech of Senator Revilla has been a good opportunity to responding to the people’s clamor for a full explanation on what happened to the PDAF allocation that he received from 2007 to 2009. What the people heard and saw yesterday (Monday) was a plain attempt to divert public attention from the real issue,” he said in a press conference.

Coloma said that Revilla, as a public official, “is expected to fully account for the PDAF allocation.”

“The main issue is PDAF and it is the right of the people to be given a full explanation,” he added.