MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / June 7, 2014) – The Aquino government on Saturday said the filing of plunder charges against three Filipino senators is a significant step to ferret out the truth as more lawmakers accused in the P10-billion pork barrel scam are being linked to the scandal.
The three lawmakers – Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr., and Jose Ejercito, Jr., better known as Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada – have denied involvement in the scam allegedly perpetrated by businesswoman Janet Napoles, who is also facing plunder charges.
Arrest warrants for the lawmakers are expected to come out next week.
“This constitutes a major step forward in our mission to find out the truth about these anomalies,” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte told the government radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
She said the Aquino administration remains firmly committed to unearthing the facts in the scam. She said the government will continue to push for reforms aimed at strengthening the foundations of transparency and accountability in the bureaucracy.
Valte also brushed off allegations that the filing of charges against the three senators was rushed as Aquino prepares his State of the Nation Address.
She said the Office of the Ombudsman was given enough time to review and to consider all the pieces of evidence that was submitted by the Department of Justice.
The lawmakers said the charges against them were politically motivated, an accusation denied by Valte.
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