Trillanes used his pork funds for ghost projects – Belgica group

Greco Belgica. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

Updated to include Senator Trillanes IV reaction

The Coalition for Investigation and Prosecution led by former Manila councilor Greco Belgica on Monday accused Senator Antonio Trillanes IV of misusing pork barrel funds he received during the previous administration.

Citing records from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the group together with the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption led by its founding chairman Dante Jimenez Trillanes has received a total of P245 million in DAP funds in three tranches (P100 million, P50 million and P95 million).

The anti-pork barrel coalition said the senator donated P10 million from his DAP funds to a non-government organization that allegedly turned out to be a donor and not recipient of donations.

“He had so many ghost projects that we discovered,” Belgica told reporters Monday.

The group said they have already turned over the evidence to the Department of Justice (DOJ) which is conducting a reinvestigation on the matter through its attached agency, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“These (pieces of) evidence against Sen. Trillanes are enough to pursue cases against him. But we want the DOJ to further investigate and validate and it would be up to them if they would pursue separate cases against him,” he added.

Trillanes reaction

Sought for reaction, Trillanes, in an ambush interview at the Senate, scoffed at Belgica’s accusations.

“Isa pa yang si Belgica, may diperensya sa pag-iisip ‘yan. I don’t know why people keep on entertaining that,” the senator said.

He then challenged Belgica to make formal his allegations and file it before the Ombudsman.

“Nakasama ko ‘yan noong 2013 sa campaign, medyo may ‘amats’ ‘yan. Pero sige, don’t take my word for it. Kung meron siya, eh ‘di i-file niya sa Ombudsman. Hinimay-himay na lahat ‘yan. You need a COA report para magkaroon ka ng ganyang allegations. Hindi ‘yan pwedeng presscon lang,” Trillanes said. With a report from Julliane Love de Jesus