Padilla says letter fake; Zamora hits inclusion; Collantes calls list malicious

MANILA, Philippines—House Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora said he had talked to Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla and was told that the project being referred to in Benhur Luy’s digital files on the pork barrel scam could have stemmed from a supposed letter Padilla wrote.

Padilla was then the House minority leader who was requesting communications and IT equipment for various regions from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

The letter, dated January 2003, turned out to be fake, and Padilla said Tuesday it was probably used to deliver or to make it appear that the equipment was delivered to the districts of other members of the minority, including Zamora.

Zamora on Tuesday said he had not signed any document pertaining to such a transaction involving allocations under the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). “I don’t know why I should be mentioned there,” he said over the phone.

Padilla, elaborating on his earlier statements, showed the Inquirer a copy of the 2003 letter-request to the DOTC which contained his forged signature, which differed from his signature in official documents.

He said his supposed letter, which requested P48 million worth of IT equipment nationwide for other regions, even contained his wrong designation. It identified him as a “Minority Floor Leader,” but his official title is “Minority Leader,” which he would not have gotten wrong.

He also examined the signatures of the people who supposedly received the equipment in his province, which he said appeared to be spurious as well. He only discovered this transaction when it came out in the news several days ago. He did some digging and discovered the letter with his forged signature.

“Why should I be made to answer for something that I did not do?” he said.

Padilla also noted that during the time of the transaction, he was identified with then Sen. Panfilo Lacson, which was why his PDAF was not released. “It was very surprising that I was supposedly able to request for equipment from the minority when my PDAF was not even released,” he said.

Denials

Most congressmen named in the Luy files and reached by the Inquirer for comment denied having anything to do with Napoles.

Batangas Rep. Nelson Collantes said Tuesday that he had had no dealings with Luy and his boss Janet Lim-Napoles, or any of their nongovernment organizations (NGOs). “My name was maliciously included in that list,” he said.

Collantes noted that the files state there was no special allotment release order (Saro) associated with him, and it is known that if there is no Saro, there was no transaction.

He slammed the Inquirer for printing what he described as unverified information. “Our reputation is not something we just pick up from the corner,” he said.

Former Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said he did not remember having any transaction with Luy.

Former Pangasinan Rep. Generoso Tulagan Sr. said: “There’s no truth to it. I do not know how my name got into that list because I never had any dealings with Napoles.”

Former Isabela Rep. Anthony Miranda said: “God is my witness. I have no transaction with Napoles.”

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. and his son, Sagay Mayor Alfredo Marañon III, denied receiving funds from Napoles when both of them were in Congress.

Marañon Jr. said the inclusion of his name in the list may be related to an offer made to him and several other officials of Negros Occidental before the May 2004 elections for millions of pesos in fertilizer allocation from the Department of Agriculture.

“We did not accept the offer, we did not sign the papers brought to us because it was so garapal (brazen), we could not stomach it,” he said.

Former Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson (Negros Occidental, 3rd District): “My conscience is clear, I can sleep well,” he said. “It is easy to put anyone’s name on a list, I will write the Inquirer to please furnish us the documents if they have any.”

The office of Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said Tuesday that the senator did not have dealings with Janet Lim-Napoles or her agents as shown by a certification from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) contrary to the Luy records.

In its certification, Justin Vincent La Chica, head executive assistant, said a check of its records showed the DAR Office of the Secretary had no letter from Recto dated Aug. 30, 2010.—With reports from Carla Gomez, Carmel Loise Matus, Jani Arnaiz, Inquirer Visayas; Gabriel Cardinoza and Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon