No state witness immunities for Tuason, Cunanan – Assistant Ombudsman

Ruby Tuason INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Ruby Tuason and Dennis Cunanan would not be given the state witness immunities unless the Ombudsman frees them from criminal liabilities in the plunder and graft charges they are facing.

Assistant Ombudsman Asryman Rafanan said in a press briefing Tuesday that ‎there is still no green light from Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales if Tuason and Cunanan would be entitled to immunities from any suit while they testify on the billions-worth pork barrel scam.

Earlier, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has left the decision to the Office of the Ombudsman on whether it would grant the two witnesses immunities from suits.

Tuason is currently a provisional state witness while Cunanan’s status is still pending.

“The Ombudsman should resolve first the question‎ as to the liability of Ms. Tuason and the rest of the respondents before studying or considering their request for immunity,” Rafanan said.

He added that the Ombudsman has yet to determine the extent of Tuason and Cunanan’s criminal liabilities in their cases.

Dennis Cunanan INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Earlier Tuesday, the anti-corruption agency said it found probable cause to file plunder and graft charges against Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and alleged pork scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

Tuason and Cunanan were among those government officials who will be indicted for graft and plunder charges.

Tuason, a former Malacañang social secretary, implicated Estrada and Enrile and Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, Enrile’s aide,  in the pork barrel scam.

“(Also), there would be no need for immunity if (they) wouldn’t be found liable,” he said.

Unlike Tuason who filed a formal request for immunity, Rafanan said Cunanan has not filed an appeal for immunity yet.

“If there had been informal request by Cunanan, it could be under traced for his submitted counter affidavit,” he said.

“If those requests, formal or informal, would be considered, ‎it will be studied jointly with that of Tuazon,” he added.

Cunanan is the outgoing head of the Technology Resource Center who testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee against the channeling of PDAF by some lawmakers and government officials.

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