DA chief can explain alleged role in 'pork barrel' scam, Palace says

(Updated 3 p.m.) Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala is ready to explain his alleged role in the supposed funneling of state funds to dummy organizations, Malacañang said Thursday.

At a press briefing, presidential spokesperon Edwin Lacierda said Alcala met with President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday, the day when the Philippine Daily Inquirer came out with a report implicating the Agriculture secretary in the supposed scam.

"Itong mga bagong lumabas tatanungin po natin si Secretary Alcala tungkol diyan. Lahat po ito sabi naman ni Secretary Alcala handa siya magpaliwanag," said Lacierda.

In the Inquirer report published Wednesday, pork barrel scam whistleblower Merlina Suñas said Alcala's office had also helped fund bogus groups under Janet Lim-Napoles, the businesswoman being implicated in the alleged irregularity in the use of “pork barrel” (Priority Development Assistance Fund) allocations by several lawmakers.

On Thursday, the Inquirer came out with another report saying Alcala's office endorsed two years ago the release of almost P90 million through one of the bogus organizations.

But Lacierda, on Thursday, said: "May paliwanag po si Secretary Alcala... kung meron pong bagong claim sasagutin ni Secretary Alcala."

Asked if this controversy would cause a reshuffle within the department similar to that of the Bureau of Customs, Lacierda said it all depends on the Cabinet secretaries.

"We will rely on the judgment of the Cabinet secretaries," he said. — Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News