Palace says gov’t has enough proof to convict alleged plunderers

By: Christian V. Esguerra - 10 years ago

Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Revilla and Juan Ponce Enrile. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Despite the perceived early setbacks suffered by prosecutors, Malacañang claimed Monday that the government has enough evidence to prove the guilt “beyond reasonable doubt” of three senators tagged in the pork barrel scam.

The Palace is just as confident about nailing Janet Lim-Napoles and several others facing either plunder or graft charges for allegedly pocketing millions in kickbacks from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

“We believe that we have evidence that can meet the standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt but that will take time,” President Aquino’s spokesman, Edwin Lacierda, said at a news conference.

Lacierda also expressed surprise over reports that Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. were being allowed visitors beyond the hours allowed by the rules of the Philippine National Police.

“Certainly, we were surprised that the visitation rules were not followed,” he said. “That’s what we want to know and the people assigned at the PNP Custodial Center are now explaining what happened.”

Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II has also asked officials running the detention faculty to “align” their rules with those of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, said Lacierda.

“If there were rules, they should be applied. But how come there seemed to have been an exception yesterday (Sunday)?” Lacierda said, referring to news reports that relatives and friends of the two senators had been allowed to stay in the custodial center beyond the time set by the PNP.

A number of vehicles were also seen delivering food to the senators.

In seeking to convict those behind the PDAF scam, Lacierda cited, the testimonies of Benhur Luy and other whistleblowers, along with documents such as special allotment release orders and the Commission on Audit report, which has also called attention to the alleged misuse of pork barrel allocations by allies of President Aquino, among them Representatives Niel Tupas and Neptali Gonzales II.

Accused of pursuing “selective justice,” Malacañang has insisted that the course of the investigation into the pork barrel scam would be determined solely by evidence.

On the cases now pending in the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court, Lacierda said he was confident that the government had enough evidence to secure a conviction.

“Do we have evidence strong enough to pursue [a conviction]? And I think the answer to that is the evidence is there,” he said.

Last Friday, government prosecutors withdrew their motion to amend the information in the plunder case filed against Estrada after being warned by the antigraft court that doing so would lead to the release of the senator.

The Sandiganbayan earlier junked a prosecution motion, this time in the case of Revilla, whom prosecutors wanted to show as the main beneficiary of pork barrel kickbacks.

Given the consecutive setbacks, prosecutors no longer sought to amend the information in the plunder case against Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile.

Lacierda was optimistic that those who pocketed pork barrel kickbacks would not be acquitted on a mere technicality.

“We have a saying in law that technicality should not prevail over substance or over evidence,” he said. “Our courts know that and it’s up to them to evaluate the evidence.”