Aquino: Tuason may be missing link in pork barrel scam

Ruby Tuason. Photo by INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – Ruby Tuason might just be the witness that the government needs to tie up the conspiracy among the key players in the P10-billion pork scandal, President Benigno Aquino III said Friday.

The President said the whistleblowers and even State auditors had all pointed to a conspiracy in the funneling of lawmakers’ priority development assistance fund (PDAF) to questionable non-governmental organizations.

“According to the whistleblowers and even the COA itself, there was a conspiracy,” Aquino told reporters after presiding over the turnover of command of the Philippine Army at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.

“When she said she’s going to testify, here’s one who could complete the process, tie up, reaffirm the allegations of our whistleblowers. That will strengthen the evidence, and as I’ve promised to our people, we will go wherever the evidence leads us,” he added.

If at all, the President said, Tuason could add “more details to the story” behind the pork scam.

“This will help put a closure to this episode on the abuse of our country,” he said.

Tuason flew home Friday from the United States to tell everything she knew about the scam that roiled Congress and the bureaucracy for much of the second half of 2013, and expressed willingness to turn state’s witness.

A former secretary of former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, Tuason faces a plunder complaint in connection with the scam along with Janet Lim Napoles, three senators and several congressmen and other suspects that is being studied by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Whistleblower Marina Sula had told the Senate that on Napoles’ orders she brought a bagful of money to the house of Tuason, who Sula said was an “agent” for a lawmaker she did not identify by name.

The whistleblowers had also named Tuason as Napoles’ conduit in the offices of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada.

The President said he had yet to read Tuason’s affidavit, but did not rule out the possibility of her turning state’s witness.

He said he did not want to comment further on her turning state’s witness lest this be prejudiced.

But commenting on the possibility she would be dropped from the complaint if she turned state’s witness, Aquino said: “I understand the criteria being utilized is he who is not most guilty can be offered. So if the testimony benefits the state then that would probably be considered.”

Aquino said he would defer to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to decide whether Tuason’s testimony would far outweigh her culpability in the case.

Tuason is also facing a plunder complaint along with former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and 22 others in connection with the alleged misuse of P900 million in proceeds from the Malampaya natural gas field off Palawan.

Tuason allegedly received P242 million in kickbacks for a still “unidentified principal.” An Inquirer source said the money was for Mike Arroyo, the former president’s husband, as payment for expenses in the 2007 mid-term elections.

Tuason’s husband is Mike Arroyo’s cousin.

Arroyo has distanced himself from Tuason. He said Tuason was the estranged wife of his late first cousin Carlos “Butch” Tuason, and therefore their relationship was “one merely of affinity” or law, and not of blood.

Arroyo added that at the time of the alleged transactions involving the Malampaya fund, Tuason had been separated from his cousin.

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