Former TRC chief to tell all on ‘pork’

MANILA, Philippines - Another respondent in the criminal complaint filed against individuals implicated in the pork barrel scam wants to turn state witness and bare details of Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr.’s misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Dennis Cunanan, former head of the Technology Resource Center (TRC), reportedly wants to divulge everything he knows about the anomaly, including his dealings with Revilla concerning the release of the latter’s PDAF – the official name of pork barrel funds – to dubious non-government organizations (NGOs) of alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

Levito Baligod, lawyer of pork barrel scam whistle-blowers led by Benhur Luy, confirmed yesterday Cunanan’s decision to offer himself as state witness. The other whistle-blowers include Merlina Suñas and Gertrudes Luy.

Cunanan’s decision came days after Ruby Tuason, former social secretary of Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada when he was president, offered herself as state witness and linked Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada to the scam.

Revilla, Enrile and Estrada are respondents in the plunder and malversation complaint – along with Cunanan – filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) with the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the PDAF scam.

Tuason is also a respondent in the case.

Baligod said Cunanan’s testimony would be crucial because he was able to get Revilla himself to confirm over the phone that the signatures on some project endorsements were his.

“Dennis will refute Bong Revilla’s claim that he had nothing to do with the implementation of PDAF-funded projects,” Baligod said in Filipino.

“Mr. Dennis Cunanan had cited instances when Sen. Revilla himself had confirmed signing endorsement letters favoring NGOs of Napoles,” Baligod said in a GMA News report.

Earlier, Revilla denied he had ever signed letters allowing the allocation of more than P500 million of his PDAF to eight dubious NGOs between 2007 and 2009.

He said Luy may have forged his signatures on the endorsement letters.

Baligod said Cunanan even recalled an incident when Revilla gave him a dressing down for his failure to process a request from the senator.

Cunanan and his staff, Baligod said, had to work the whole day on Dec. 23 just to process some papers demanded by the senator.

“Just for that he (Cunanan) was scolded by Revilla,” Baligod said.

He added the former TRC boss is in Manila.

Cunanan went on an indefinite leave of absence when he was named in the plunder and malversation complaint.

Based on a Commission on Audit (COA) report, lawmakers had allocated pork barrel funds to TRC, which then channeled the money to dubious NGOs, including those of Napoles.

After he was linked to the PDAF scam, Revilla filed a plunder complaint against Cunanan and officials of other government agencies that had transacted with Napoles.

The other respondents were former president of the National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor) Alan Javellana, former president of the National Livelihood Development Corp. Gondelina Amata, and former president of ZNAC Rubber Estate Corp. Salvador Salacup.

Baligod said Cunanan has been applying to be accepted as state witness since October last year, and had even submitted an affidavit to the NBI.

The STAR called and texted Cunanan’s lawyer Rey Roble to confirm Baligod’s announcement but received no reply.

Baligod said Cunanan is qualified to stand as state witness.

The decision to accept an accused as state witness depends on the Ombudsman or the courts.

Meanwhile, two other officials of another government-owned and controlled corporation named in the pork barrel scam have expressed willingness to divulge what they know about the anomaly.

Baligod identified them as Rhodora Mendoza and Victor Roman Cacal of Nabcor. Both are facing plunder charges.

Cacal, in another GMA News report, said he and Mendoza were mere employees taking orders from higher ups. “As employees we just follow instructions,” Cacal said.

He said they had to follow some processes lest they get into trouble with their bosses.