New witness in ‘pork’ probe ready for lifestyle check
Technology Resource Center Director General Dennis Cunanan PHOTO FROM www.dost.gov.ph
MANILA, Philippines—Former Technology Resource Center (TRC) General Manager Dennis Cunanan on Wednesday said he was ready to undergo lifestyle check to prove that he did not benefit from the pork barrel scam.
Cunanan added that he was ready to sign a waiver of the bank secrecy law to allow the government to examine his bank accounts.
“In order to put to rest any doubts about my claim that I did not receive any monetary benefits from the perpetrators of the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) scam, I hereby state my unqualified willingness and readiness to undergo a lifestyle check by the Department of Justice,” Cunanan said in a statement.
“In fact, to show that I have nothing to hide, I am willing to go further and I hereby state my willingness to sign a waiver of the bank secrecy law to allow the DoJ to go through all of my bank accounts should it find the same necessary in the course of their lifestyle check on my person,” he added.
Cunanan is the first official to come out and testify against the pork barrel scam. The TRC processes the PDAF funded projects of lawmakers and their selected non-government organizations.
He is also one of those facing a criminal complaint in relation to the PDAF before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Cunanan said when he was only deputy director of TRC from 2006 to 2009, he has no authority to decide whether or not to approve PDAF funded projects. He added that when he became TRC head in 2010, he instituted policy reforms in approving projects, one of which is that there has to be a recommendation from the Commission on Audit.
He also said that in July 2010, the TRC blacklisted 47 NGOs and some local government units who failed to liquidate their accounts.
“I believe that this action of the TRC management under my leadership, more than anything else is enough to dispel any claims, suggestions or suspicion that I directly or indirectly benefited from the PDAF scam,” Cunanan said.
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