Poe, Pimentel raise alarm on Cunanan’s application for WPP

MANILA, Philippines - Senators Grace Poe and Aquilino Pimentel III cautioned Justice Secretary Leila de Lima in pursuing the application for witness protection of Technology Resource Center (TRC) director general-on leave Dennis Cunanan in view of claims that he pocketed kickbacks out of the pork barrel scam.

Poe and Pimentel raised the alarm after no less than pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy testified that Cunanan received P960,000 in one meeting with pork barrel scam operator Janet Lim Napoles at the JLN offices in Ortigas City.

The call for the justice department to thoroughly review the personalities whom they place under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) snowballed yesterday after Cunanan fell short of expectations of the public and senators in his testimony regarding the pork barrel scam. 

In an interview over dzBB radio, Poe cited loopholes in Cunanan’s claims that he did not benefit from the scam. 

Poe also raised an issue on how Cunanan manages his household by living in a big house inside White Plains Subdivision in Quezon City with his P70,000 income as a government employee. 

Cunanan debunked claims that he owned the house, saying it was bought as an investment by his brother and that he and his family were merely occupying it since his brother lives with their parents in the province.

Poe also sees the need for the Senate to take another look at Cunanan’s request for legislative immunity.

Poe said Cunanan does not deserve legislative immunity, noting that he did not tell the whole truth during his appearance last Thursday at the Senate inquiry into the pork barrel scam.

For his part, Pimentel noted that many senators tested Cunanan’s credibility and came out disappointed with his statements. 

He warned the DOJ that if Cunanan is lying at some point of his testimony, his credibility will really be questioned once the case is heard in the courts.

“As you saw, almost every senator tested the credibility of our new whistleblower. When I read his affidavit, his story was okay but he said he did not receive any kickbacks from Jenny Napoles,” Pimentel said.

However, Pimentel noted that Cunanan was dumbfounded when he confronted him with entries in paragraph 126 of Luy’s affidavit, which showed that he saw Cunanan receive the bag supposedly containing money from Napoles.

“If the defense proved that you are lying in one point, then they will say ‘false in one, false in all’,” Pimentel added.

Pimentel, however, is giving De Lima chance to clear the air on the conflicting statements of the two potential government witnesses in the pork barrel controversy.

“She is giving Dennis Cunanan a chance to clear his recollection of events. He should tell the truth,” the senator said.

“The entire testimony of Dennis Cunanan will be affected but not the entire case. We are weighing his credibility as against Benhur Luy,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel, a lawyer, said there is no need for the Senate to grant Cunanan his request for legislative immunity because he has also sought for protection before the WPP.

Pimentel noted that Cunanan might have sought legislative immunity to ensure that he is insulated from suits. 

Once given by the Senate with approval of the Senate President, Pimentel noted that legislative immunity would still be subjected to the rules of WPP.