No link with Enrile, Ruby Tuason lawyer says

The legal counsel for potential state witness Ruby Tuason denied on Tuesday any connection with Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile.

 

Lawyer Dennis Manalo stressed this in a television interview after Senator Antonio Trillanes IV claimed that he and Enrile belonged to the same law firm.

But in an interview on GMA News' Unang Balita, Manalo said Enrile was no longer a partner of the Siguion Reyna Montecillo & Ongsiako law firm when he came in.

 

"Si Senator Enrile po, noong siya'y naging bahagi or partner ng Siguion Reyna law firm noong 60s pa iyon until siya po ay bumitiw sa law firm na iyon dahil siya po ay pinatawag na para magsilbi sa gobyerno," he said.

 

"Ako naman po, about 30 years after, saka pa lamang po ako pumasok. Sa totoo lamang po, never po kami naging mag-partner ni Sen. Enrile sa kahit anong law firm at never naman po ako naging emplyedo niya," Manalo added.



Earlier, Trillanes voiced suspicions that Tuason might have agreed to testify in the ongoing pork barrel fund scam to defend the 90-year-old Enrile, and eventually sabotage the investigation. 

 

In a phone-patch interview aired on GMA News' Saksi Monday night, Trillanes wondered where Tuason would be getting the P40 million she would return to the government, and who provided her lawyer.

 

"Malalaman mo na kung saan nanggaling, nagbigay ng abogado at nagbigay ng pera. 'Yung ang aking speculation," he said.



On Monday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she doesn't share Trillanes' suspicions, saying, " think these are far out suspicions. Kasi kay Trillanes, suspicions lang. I don't think he is categorical. I doubt it."  

"With due respect to Sen. Trillanes... but I doubt the veracity of his suspicions na ang responsible sa pag-surface ni Ruby Tuason ay si Enrile, na baka si Enrile ang mag-provide ng P40 million na isasauli," De Lima said.

The Saksi report said Enrile was a partner of the Siguion Reyna Montecillo & Ongsiako law firm from 1954 until 1966, when he left to serve the government.

 

Manalo also explained that it was the children of Tuason who recommended for him to be the lawyer of their mother.

 

"Noong nasa America na si Mrs. Ruby Tuason, 'yung mga anak na naiwan niya dito, ang siyang inatasan niya para magrekomenda ng abogado para sa kanya. 'Yung pong mga anak niya, mayroon pong kakilala na ni-recommend po ako," he said. — with Amanda Fernandez/RSJ, GMA News