Cebu lawmakers demand proof they transacted pork barrel funds with Napoles

By: Carmel Loise Matus - 11 years ago

Janet Lim-Napoles INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Cebuano solons whose names appeared in the sworn confession of Janet Lim-Napoles on the pork barrel scam are demanding evidence that would prove that they had indeed transacted with the alleged architect of the wholesale plunder.

Rep. Raul del Mar of Cebu City north district said he wrote to Agriculture Secretary Prospero Alcala, asking for documents and details on his alleged transactions and projects with the agency.

He said in a phone interview that he wanted to be clarified if indeed he had any dealings with Department of Agriculture because as far as he knew, he never coursed his allocations under the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to the agency.

“I never had any dealings with Napoles or her agents and received part of the pork barrel from her or her agents, he said.

He also denied he had projects with former Cebu Rep. Clavel Martinez of the 4th district.

Napoles named 20 senators and 100 congressmen in her affidavit submitted to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Monday.

Among them was Rep. Gerald Gullas of Cebu”s 1st district.

The neophyte congressman said he was shocked that he was included in the list.

He reiterated that he only assumed office on June 1, 2013 and didn’t have any dealings with Napoles or her alleged agent, Cheryl “Cheche” Yarra.

“Upon my assumption of office as congressman of the 16th Congress, the PDAF having been declared by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional, was already abolished; hence, no PDAF funds were ever disbursed or released to me,” he said.

Gullas wrote a letter to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, asking for a meeting to clear his name.

“I know I did not do anything wrong, he added.

In a text message, Clavel’s son Cebu, Celestino Martinez III, said his mother was with the opposition during her second and third term in office.

“She hardly got anything with regards to PDAF from then PGMA (President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo),” he said.