More witnesses in ‘pork’ scam expected to surface, says Mar Roxas

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas: I tried to end siege. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

CITY OF SAN PEDRO, Philippines—Expect more Ruby Tuasons and Dennis Cunanans to surface in the coming days.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said Saturday that several persons with knowledge about the misuse of pork barrel allocations of some lawmakers had approached him to express their willingness to testify in connection with the multi-billion-peso racket.

“Some were sounding off. Others have sent feelers,” Roxas told reporters at a celebration of the cityhood of this town, which is known as the country’s “sampaguita capital.”

“But I did not entertain them. Instead, I immediately told them to go to the DOJ (Department of Justice) because it’s the government agency handling the investigation,” Roxas said.

He refused to identify any of them or provide details about what they knew about the scam, which involves the funneling of up to P10 billion pesos in allocations from the legislators’ Priority Development Assistance Fund to bogus non-governmental organizations of detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

“What’s happening now is that several individuals are rushing to become witnesses now that the likes of Tuason and Cunanan have come forward. They would corroborate the testimonies and documents provided by Benhur Luy,” he said. “It’s up to the DOJ to determine if their claims are material or baseless. The DOJ is the appropriate agency.”

Roxas distanced himself from Cunanan, saying he had never met with the former head of the Technology Livelihood Resource Center (now Technology Resource Center) who has been admitted as a provisional witness of the DOJ in the plunder case filed against several lawmakers.

Roxas laughed off the allegation of Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. that he was behind Cunanan’s decision to testify and corroborate the testimonies of whistleblower Benhur Luy and other witnesses.

“I don’t have anything to do with the testimony of Mr. Cunanan. I do not know him. I have never spoken to him. I’m not his instigator as (Revilla) claimed,” he said.

“I pity my friend, Senator Revilla, because it appears that he doesn’t know how to face the evidence provided by Benhur Luy and COA (Commission on Audit). I’m not his enemy,” he added.

Roxas said Revilla should realize that “this is not a movie. There is no plot or collusion to bring him down.”

“Unlike in the movies, you cannot invent a script regarding this. This is real life. You are responsible for every action you make,” Roxas said.

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