MANILA, Philippines – An open letter narrating the alleged “kleptocracy” of Senate President Franklin Drilon was sent to senators by a former congressman ahead of the Senate investigation into the reportedly overpriced Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) on Thursday.
A copy of the letter by former Iloilo Representative Augusto Syjuco Jr. was sent to reporters by the office of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who was requested by the former lawmaker to have him invited to the blue ribbon hearing on the ICC.
Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
INQUIRER.net confirmed through Syjuco’s secretary on the authenticity of the letter entitled “Drilon’s Kleptocracy,” which exposed the Senate president’s alleged brand of “Ilonggo public ‘hulidaps’ that now you see it, now you don’t.”
“Through the use of his position, Drilon brings home government funds, announced these to all and sundry, to get the public credit and adulation, and identifies the projects,” Syjuco said in his letter.
“He then delegates these funds to be used by whichever Local Government Units (LGUs) or Executive Departments or Agencies for purposes Drilon has directed,” he said.
It was public knowledge, Syjuco said, that it was Drilon who directed the LGUs, departments or agencies on “exactly how the projects will be implemented, who is to win the bidding and who will get the kickbacks (said understandably to be mostly for Drilon’s)
“To complete the circle graft, when things go wrong as they do, Drilon puts on his magical cape of protective invisibility, and claims that he has had nothing to do with the bidding whatsoever. His only role, he says, is that of sourcing funds,” said the former lawmaker.
Syjuco also brought up the 1, 542-square meter Forbes Park Mansion property that Drilon’s step-daughter, Eduarda Genuino, allegedly acquired in 2004 for P50,000.
“Miss Genuino, aged only in her 20s at that time, is a step-daughter of Senator Franklin Drilon. She was a simple wage earner then, and could not on her own produce that amount of money. Did her job pay her enough for her to purchase a P50 million Forbes Park house?” he asked.
“When she acquired this property, she was single and she listed as her address the house of Drilon at 49 Polk Street, North Greenhills, San Juan Metro Manila,” he added.
Many were appalled, Syjuco said, that Drilon could have allegedly corrupted this young and innocent 20-year-old step-daughter from his second wife, who was allegedly teaching her to be “in cahoots with him in consummated money-laundering.”
“This incident would also provide the opportunity for an investigation in aid of legislation regarding the under-the-table hiding of ill-gotten wealth,” Syjuco said.
INQUIRER.net tried to get Drilon’s reaction to Syjuco’s letter but the Senate leader has yet to respond as of posting time. With Marc Cayabyab
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