Bong Revilla pins blame on ‘Boy Pirma,’ other whistleblowers for ‘pork’ scam

By ANDREO CALONZO, GMA News

Published January 20, 2014 3:27pm

(Updated 5:35 p.m.) Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. on Monday pinned the blame on whistleblowers, led by Benhur Luy, for the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam.

"Pilit pa rin akong isinasangkot sa eskandalong kitang-kita na sila mismong whistleblowers at iba pa nilang kasabwat ang may kagagawan ng lahat," Revilla said in a privilege speech.

Revilla even called Luy as "Boy Pirma" for allegedly forging his signatures in documents being used as evidence in the plunder raps filed against the senator.

Revilla is facing a plunder complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly pocketing over P224 million in kickbacks from the alleged pork barrel scam, supposedly engineered by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

Lawyer Richard Cambe, a member of Revilla's staff who is currently on leave, is also being implicated in the alleged anomaly.

Revilla earlier admitted occasionally seeing Napoles in social gatherings, but has repeatedly denied his involvement in the alleged scam.

Revilla's son, Bryan, reportedly has a business partnership with Napoles's son, James Christopher. The senator earlier said this partnership is "legal and legitimate."

During his speech, Revilla also presented specimens of his supposed signatures on documents which he said were forged by Luy.

The senator also played a video clip showing Luy admitting during a Senate probe that he knows how to fake signatures.

"Di po ba't malinaw pa sa sikat ng araw na iba-iba 'yang mga pirma na iyan? Hindi ko po pirma ang mga dokumento na sinasabi ng mga ito na ebidensya laban sa akin," Revilla said.

A report on the Philippine Daily Inquirer earlier in the day, however, said that Revilla told the Commission on Audit in a letter that "it appears that the signatures and/or my initials on these documents are my signatures or that of my authorized representatives."

Toy truck

Also in his speech, Revilla belittled the Department of Justice (DOJ)'s pieces of evidence linking him to the alleged pork barrel scam, saying such documents can only fit a toy truck.

"Ito po ang sinasabi nilang isang truck ng ebidensya. Ito lang naman pala. Trak-trakan ng mga bata," the senator said, using a toy truck with a pile of paper on top as props.

He also sought to debunk Luy's claims that kicbacks from the alleged pork barrel scam were handed to lawyer Richard Cambe, a member of his staff who is also being implicated in the supposed anomaly.

Revilla presented Cambe's supposed travel documents to show that the lawyer was out of the country on the dates Luy claimed to have transacted with the senator's staff member.

"Sa mismong pictures na ito sa kanyang passport at sa record ng PAL [Philippine Airlines] ay ipinakikita at pinatutunayang wala sa Pilipinas si Atty. Cambe na sinabi nilang inabutan ng pera sa mga petsang iyon," the senator said.

Revilla likewise questioned the government's move to immediately turn Luy and other whistleblowers, whom he called "Jukebox King and Queen," into state witnesses.

"Sa halip na kasuhan dahil sa pag-aming pineke nila ang mga pirma ng mga mambabatas, mas pinili nilang gawin itong testigo laban sa kung sinu-sino para lamang mabuo ang kanilang planong wasakin ang inyong lingkod at mga taong sa tingin nila ay magiging tinik sa lalamunan nila sa 2016," the senator said.

Last year, Revilla filed a civil case against whistleblowers in the alleged pork barrel fund scam, where he demanded them to return some P500 million of these funds to the national government. — RSJ, GMA News

Tags: bantaykaban, bongrevilla, bongrevillajr