Trillanes accuses Aguirre of 'fabricating' testimonies to harass opposition

'PORK' SCAM

Published May 29, 2017 9:33am

By KATHRINA CHARMAINE ALVAREZ, GMA News

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday denied that he misused government funds after Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the opposition senator will soon face charges over the multi-billion pork barrel scam.

"I categorically deny any involvement in any irregularity regarding PDAF, DAP or any government funds, for that matter," Trillanes said in a text message to reporters.

Trillanes was referring to the priority development assistance funds (PDAF) or pork barrel funds allocated to congressmen and senators until it was ruled as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2013, and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), a spending program during the Aquino administration.

"I was never even mentioned in any of the so-called Napoles lists provided during the height of the investigations in 2013," Trillanes said.

Trillanes, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, said Aguirre is behind the supposed charges to be filed by alleged pork scam queen Janet Lim-Napoles.

"Aguirre has been using his office to persecute and harass members of the opposition by fabricating testimonies from dubious convicts or detainees such as the Bilibid drug lords, Kerwin Espinosa and now Napoles," he said.

In a television interview, Aguirre said Trillanes, along with Senator Leila de Lima, and former budget secretary Florencio Abad will soon face charges over the PDAF scam.

The Justice secretary said the charges will be filed by Napoles.

De Lima earlier said that the Duterte administration will likely enter a deal with Napoles to “blackmail and threaten” the President's political foes.

Napoles was earlier acquitted by the Court of Appeals in the serious illegal detention case filed against her by her former aide, Benhur Luy. —ALG, GMA News

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