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Bongbong, Enrile unfazed by possible raps over alleged 'pork' scam


"I am not bothered."
 
This was how Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. reacted to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima's statement that some senators may be charged over the alleged "pork barrel" scam.
 
In an interview on Wednesday morning, Marcos said he is ready to answer allegations "point by point," in case he will be implicated in the alleged anomaly.
 
"I know what happened. Alam ko yung nangyari sa opisina. Alam ko yung ginawa ko," the senator said.
 
But he stressed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has not yet contacted his office to get his side on the alleged scam.
 
On Tuesday, De Lima said that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which she supervises, was able "to confirm the involvement" of some senators and House members in the alleged "pork barrel" scam. A Philippine Daily Inquirer report on the alleged scam had linked Senators Marcos, Jinggoy Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. and Gringo Honasan to the supposed anomaly.
 
For his part, Enrile likewise appeared unfazed by De Lima's statements, even laughing off the possibility of being charged for the alleged anomaly.
 
"Okay lang yun, okay sa akin iyon... My records are complete," Enrile said in a separate interview.
 
Senate won't interfere
 
The NBI is currently investigating how the "pork barrel," formally known as the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), was supposedly used to fund ghost projects worth P10 billion through bogus non-government organizations.
 
De Lima said charges will be filed against lawmakers allegedly involved in the scam "in a few weeks."
 
Senate President Franklin Drilon, meanwhile, said he will let senators implicated in the supposed anomaly face the possible charges filed against them.
 
"This is a matter that does not involve the Senate," Drilon said.
 
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have refused to probe the alleged "pork barrel" scam and agreed to wait for the NBI report on the alleged anomaly.  
Politically motivated?
 
Marcos, for his part, further said that he is convinced that his reported involvement in the alleged "pork barrel" scam is politically motivated.
 
"Kataka-taka na puro perceived na opposition ang nababanggit. So, ang sinasabi, bakit ganun? That’s why madaling sabihin mukhang pulitika. I think the suspicion is well-founded. Hindi mo masisisi ang mga tao na ganyan nga ang iniisip," he said.
 
Asked if he thinks the issue has something to do the 2016 presidential polls, Marcos answered, "Parang lahat na yata is 2016, eh."
 
Marcos, the son of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcsos, earlier said he intended to run for an elective post in the 2016 polls, but did not specify which position he was aspiring for. Ironically, as member of the Nacionalista Party, Marcos belongs to the Senate majority, whose members are mostly allies of the President.  
 
Last month, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda made it clear that the investigation on the alleged "pork barrel" scam would not spare allies of the administration.
On Wednesday, Lacierda stressed that the issue on the alleged "pork barrel" scam did not come from them.
 
"Paano magiging kami ang nasa likod noon? Wala sa likuran [niyan] ang Malacañang," he told reporters during a press briefing.
 
He likewise explained that the issue blew up in the media through the whistleblowers.
 
"Lahat po kayo nag-imbestiga, this is a big democracy," he said. — with Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMA News
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