Roxas not behind Tesda chief’s pork scam complaint, Abad says

Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad on Monday downplayed a newspaper report which said Interior Secretary Mar Roxas is behind the filing of a complaint against an administration ally.

At the sidelines of the Development Budget Coordinating Committee (DBCC) hearings at the House of Representatives, Abad was asked about a Manila Times report which alleged that Roxas is behind the filing of a malversation complaint before the Ombudsman against Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (Tesda) Director General Joel Villanueva over the pork barrel scam.

Though not directly quoting Villanueva, the newspaper report attributed to Villanueva the allegation that Roxas had a hand in the approval of the complaint by the Department of Justice.

“I don’t think Secretary Roxas is going to do that with a close ally.  I don’t think it’s in the character and nature of Secretary Roxas,” said Abad, who was campaign manager for the Liberal Party which brought President Benigno Aquino III to office in 2010.

He defended Villanueva, formerly a Cibac party-list representative and a member of the administration coalition, saying the Tesda Director General is yet to be formally charged before the Sandiganbayan.

“They’re not yet being sued for something. What was done was to submit this to the Ombudsman for them to look into this deeper. There is still no case filed against him,” Abad said.

He maintained that the administration is not partisan in going after public officials accused of corruption.

“The President and the Liberal Party is color blind as far as cases are concerned. If you committed wrongdoing then you are subjected to investigation, whoever you are. I’m not referring particularly to Secretary Joel. President Aquino has said we are blind to political color as far as the anti-corruption campaign of the administration is concerned,” Abad said.

“But as far as we are concerned, he is innocent until proven otherwise,” Abad added.

The National Bureau of Investigation on Friday filed the malversation, graft and direct bribery complaint against Villanueva, Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan III, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, La Union Rep. Victor Ortega, Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing, incumbent Abono Rep. and former Pangasinan Rep. Conrado Estrella III, former Abono Rep. Robert Raymund Estrella, former La Union Rep. Manuel Ortega, and former Zamboanga Rep. Isidoro Real Jr.

They form part of the last batch of pork barrel scam raps.

According to the complaint, Villanueva is accused of receiving P2.330 million in kickbacks in his alleged dealings with accused pork scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles’ bogus foundation Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (MAMFI). AU