Senators Antonio Trillanes, Leila de Lima, Franklin Drilon and former Budget secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad will soon face new charges over the multi-billion pork barrel scam, Justice Vitaliano Aguirre II confirmed Monday.
Aguirre said the charges will be filed in the coming days by no less than businesswoman Janet Napoles, the alleged mastermind behind the P10-billion scheme.
“Nakausap ko na po actually ang kanyang lawyer. Ang sabi niya, in a few days, maglalabas na sila ng kaukulang habla at ifa-file ata nila iyun sa DOJ,” Aguirre told media in a phone interview.
“Mga ilang personalities po, talagang prominent personalities po na involved sa PDAF scam ang uunahin nila… Ang mga nabanggit niyang personalities noong nakaraang administrasyon ay sina Secretary Abad, parang kasama rin si Senator Trillanes, Senator De Lima at [former] Senate President Drilon.” he claimed.
[I have talked with her lawyer. He said, in a few days, they will file charges before the DOJ. They will prioritize several prominent personalities involved in the scam. Among those mentioned were Secretary Abad, as well as Senators Trillanes, de Lima and former Senate president Drilon.]
However, early this morning, Drilon and Trillanes denied any involvement in any irregularities regarding government funds such as the Priority Development Assistance Fund and the Disbursement Acceleration Program.
Drilon said that the charges were just mere black propaganda and political harassment intended to silence the members of the opposition.
Aguirre, for his part, said the pork barrel probe is not a ploy to discredit the Aquino administration nor take revenge against Duterte administration’s critics. He said there is no reason for the president to do so.
“Iyan lamang ay pagpapatupad ng katarungan sapagkat kung ikaw ay nagkasala, at alam naman natin na kung ikaw ang namuno lalong-lalo na sa napakalaking pag-rape sa ating kabang bayan, wala pong paghihiganti po,” the Justice secretary said.
[We are only serving justice because if you have sinned, and we know that if you led the rape of public coffers, the filing of charges is not an act of revenge.]
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Source: ABS-CBN
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