Senator Bong Revilla ended his silence with the controversial Pork Barrel issue as he denied any links to the alleged P10 billion pork barrel issue. The Senator denied all allegations against him in a privilege speech at the Senate on Monday, January 20, 2014.
The 47-year-old Bong Revilla denied that he ever confirmed to the Commission on Audit that he personally signed papers that he allocated P503.69 million of his pork barrel to eight questionable NGO’s from 2007 to 2009.
The Senator was quoted as saying “For the record, Mr. President I have nothing to do with this scam, those whistle-blowers nor Janet Lim. I have no dealings or transactions with them,” he said.
Sen. Bong Revilla showed pictures of the alleged signatures, which he said were clearly forged and were not even similar to his own. He also described whistleblower Benhur Luy as “Boy Pirma” and stated that there was a “SARO Gang” in government offices that were involved in the scam.
Aside from denying his involvement with Janet Lim Napoles’ controversial LGUs and Benhur Luy, he also denied that a certain Richard Cambe was his chief aide and received money on his behalf.
The former action star-turned Senator reiterated that everything he owns right now came from his own hard work as a top action star and product endorsers for the past 30 years and not as Senator.
Bong Revilla was quoted as saying “Sa kabila ng pagyurak sa aking pagkatao, sa kabila ng pagkitil sa aking karapatan, sa kabila ng pagwasak sa aming buong angkan, kinimkim ko po ang aking nasa sa kalooban sa loob ng mahigit limang buwan. Narito po ako ngayon para humarap sa ating kababayan sa ngalan ng katotohanan,” he said.
Senators Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada and Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile are currently facing plunder raps filed by the National Bureau of Investigation in connection with the P10-billion pork barrel controversy.
Although the Senator did denied his involvement with Janet Napoles case, the Senator admitted that the Revillas and the Napoleses know each other and sometimes meet in social gatherings.
Bong Revilla’s son, Leonard Bryan Bautista, and one of Napoles’ children, James Christopher Napoles, met in high school and eventually became business partners. The two formed a company PB & J Corporation which sold imported rubber shoes.
Watch the complete Privilege Speech of Bong Revilla by visiting the link provided below:
