KNP lawyer charged over Nora Aunor ‘check’

Malacañang decided yesterday to pursue the filing of criminal charges against the political opposition for using forged documents to accuse the administration of paying millions of pesos for singer-actress Nora Aunor’s services in the political campaign.

In a seven-page complaint, Leonila Sioson, finance division director of the Office of the President, accused Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) secretariat director Hector Villacorta of falsification for claiming she issued a P6.2-million check to Aunor to boost President Arroyo’s presidential campaign.

Sioson denied the allegations before Makati City Prosecutor Marilyn Reyes-Agama and clarified she issued a check worth P620,000 to Aunor, Nora Villamayor in real life, as reimbursement for the expenses the actress incurred for promoting government programs last year.

"It must be noted that the services given by Villamayor (Aunor) were rendered during the year 2003 in connection with several government outreach projects and not in connection with any electoral campaign," Sioson said.

She said the same check was issued Sept. 4, 2003 as against the claims that it was issued to Aunor last March 4, 2004.

Sioson’s counsel, Cipriano Jose Mercado, said they will also include other opposition personalities in the charges.

Mercado said Sioson was prompted to file the complaint after her name was dragged into the issue.

"She (Sioson) has been in Malacañang since 1965, or 39 years, since the term of former President (Ferdinand) Marcos and she has never been involved in any case. Then all of a sudden, for political gain, they would ruin her reputation," Mercado said.

Villacorta had claimed Sioson and Malacañang’s senior deputy executive secretary Waldo Flores issued the check to Aunor worth P6.2 million on March 4, 2004 "as payment (for) actual services rendered in the Office of the President."

Villacorta revealed that the check was signed by the Office of the President.

He claimed the P6.2 million payment "could be the talent fee being paid by Malacañang to celebrity endorsers who have been supporting President Arroyo through political ads or personal appearance in campaign sorties around the country."

Villacorta presented photocopies of the supposed check and voucher, drawn from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) in Malacañang.

Malacañang and Aunor refuted the claims, pointing out the photocopies presented by Villacorta were based on forged documents.

Mercado said Villacorta could be liable for violating Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code for using falsified public documents.

"Indeed, by changing the dates and the amounts in the subject documents, respondents caused it to appear that the government illegally used public funds to pay Villamayor (Aunor)," Sioson said in her complaint.

On the other hand, Makati City mayor Jejomar Binay, a member of the KNP executive committee, said the case will not prosper.

KNP spokesman Miguel Romero added the case should be directed against former National Archives director Ricardo Manapat, who was accused of forging the birth certificate of KNP standard-bearer Fernando Poe Jr.