Drilon dismisses latest raps filed by Syjuco

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Franklin Drilon brushed off the latest case filed by former Iloilo representative Augusto Syjuco Jr. as yet another attempt to discredit him before the public.

Just like what Syjuco did in the four previous cases, Drilon said the former director of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is working with his unidentified bosses to put him in a bad light.

In his previous statements, Drilon said Syjuco has a grudge against him for supporting his rival Arcadio Gorriceta, who is now congressman of Iloilo, in the last election.

“Mr. Syjuco, the mind behind the overpriced TESDA supplies controversy, can file as many cases as he wants to vilify me before the public and create controversies so that the public’s attention is diverted away from the issue on corruption involving the use of the Priority Development Assistance Fund,” Drilon said.

“This is the fifth nuisance case filed against me. He can file 100 cases against me, but his cases remain baseless and malicious. There is no truth to his allegations. He manipulated and fabricated the facts to implicate me,” he added.

Syjuco previously filed separate cases against Drilon for graft in relation to the construction of the hall of justice in Iloilo City and the purchase of a parcel of land to be used as a relocation site in the city.

Syjuco filed another case against Drilon and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad before the Supreme Court for the alleged illegal disbursement of funds related to the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

Drilon defended the use of funds from the DAP as valid and legal since these were used to augment the existing budgets of the different government agencies tasked to implement projects such as the Department of Public Works and Highways.

In his case, Drilon said the additional funds he received in 2012 went to the construction of a convention center in Iloilo City.

“As I have said, that Syjuco is part of a highly-financed group spreading black propaganda to discredit me. He twisted facts as he has done in the previous cases he filed against me before the ombudsman, and he will never stop implicating my name in corruption and malfeasance until he fulfills his obligation to his bosses financing him to put me in a bad light,” Drilon said.