Interior Secretary Mar Roxas: I tried to end siege. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II told Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. on Friday that his involvement in the pork barrel scam is “not like in the movies.”
Saying Revilla should quit “making up scripts,” Roxas urged his former colleague to face the music and be truthful to his statements.
Revilla is one of the three senators, including Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada, allegedly involved in the P10 billion pork barrel scam orchestrated by detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.
In a privilege speech, the actor turned senator tagged Roxas as “Boy Pick-up” for offering ride to senators to meet with President Benigno Aquino III at the height of the impeachment trial of then Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012.
“Naaawa ako kay Senator Revilla na dati kong kasamahan sa Senado. Kung anu-ano na lang ang sinasabi para mapagtakpan ang katotohanan (I pity Senator Revilla, my former colleague. He’s giving excuses just to hide the truth),” he said in a statement.
Roxas advised Revilla to readily face the accusations of key whistle-blower Benhur Luy against him as well as the Commission on Audit documents that apparently prove his involvement in the multi-billion scam.
“Ang problema ni Senator Revilla ay si Benhur Luy at iba pang whistle-blowers at mga COA documents na nagsasabing paulit-ulit niyang ibinibigay sa mga pekeng NGOs ni Napoles ang kanyang pondo,” he said.
Roxas also washed his hands off the issue, stressing he is not liable anymore if there would be more witnesses who will uncover his ties with Napoles.