Villanueva says ‘justice will be served’ after dismissal order

Senator Joel Villanueva. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Neophyte Senator Joel Villanueva remained confident on Monday that “justice will be served” even after the Ombudsman’s order to dismiss him from public service for his alleged anomalous use of pork barrel funds when he was still congressman.

READ: Sen. Villanueva ordered dismissed from public service over ‘pork’

Villanueva maintained he was innocent and that he did not receive the funds.

“This an old case when I was a representative of CIBAC (Citizen’s Battle Against Corruption) in Congress. As far as I can remember, as a minority congressman then, I did not receive that amount,” he said in a statement.

“In addition, the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) has already made a conclusion that the signatures on the related documents were forged. One of the documents even used a Buhay partylist letterhead, when I was representing CIBAC partylist,” he added.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales ordered Villanueva’s dismissal after she found him guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service for the allegedly anomalous use of P10-million pork barrel allocation as a congressman.

Villanueva said he already filed a motion for reconsideration before the Ombudsman and would now leave it to Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to act on the Ombudsman’s order.

“In any case, my faith is strong in the judicial system and in time, justice will be served,” he said. RAM/rga