Revilla slams Aquino admin in ‘pork’ speech

MANILA, Philippines – Months after the pork barrel scam controversy erupted, Sen Bong Revilla is ready to talk.
He denies allegations he siphoned millions of pork barrel and turns his guns on the administration, accusing the President of influencing the Senator-judges in the trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Ayee Macaraig reports.

It’s an afternoon of heavy drama.
The entire Revilla clan shows up for a star-studded Senate opening.
Now showing is Senator Bong Revilla’s privilege speech calling plunder allegations against him over the pork barrel scam a show of the Aquino administration.
He links the corruption scandal to the 2016 polls and the government’s alleged incompetence.

BONG REVILLA, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: Nito lang, nabisto na substandard, overpriced, at di ayon sa specifications at building code ang mga itinatayong bunkhouses para sa mga biktima ng Yolanda. Mismong mga biktima, binibiktima pa. Anak ng Teteng, yan ba ang Daang Matuwid?!
(Just recently, it’s been exposed that the bunkhouses being built for typhoon victims are substandard, overpriced, and non-compliant with specifications. They are already victims, they are victimized twice. Is that the straight and narrow path?)

The actor-politician comes prepared with an audio-visual presentation including the controversial video of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas’ meeting with Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez.

REVILLA: Nang tamaan ng bagyong Yolanda ang kabisayaan, ang tugon nila, bahala kayo sa buhay niyo! (When Yolanda (Haiyan) hit the Visayas, they said, ‘fend for yourselves.’)

But Revilla does not stop with Roxas.
He implicates President Aquino and Budget Secretary Butch saying they personally appealed to senators to convict former Chief Justice Renato Corona.
He shows a photo he took of his VIP driver.

REVILLA: Nagulat ako nang sinabi sa akin ng Presidente… “Pare, parang awa mo na, Ibalato mo na sa akin ito. Kailangan siya ma-impeach.” Pagkatapos noon, pinasakay ulit ako ni Sec. Mar Roxas sa kanyang itim na SUV, at inihatid niya ako sa isang restaurant sa labas ng Malacañang. Nag-aapura na daw itong si Sec. Boy Pick-up, at kaya naman pala ay may iba pa siyang pipick-upin. (I was surprised when the President told me, “Friend, I appeal to you. Please give me this. He needs to be impeached.” After that, Sec Mar Roxas let me in his black SUV and took me to a restaurant near Malacañang. Sec ‘Boy pick-up’ said he was in a hurry. He had to pick up others.)

It’s not just Roxas who gets a Revilla nickname.
The senator also hits principal whistleblower Benhur Luy for admitting that he faked lawmakers’ signatures.

REVILLA: Sa makatuwid, eto palang si Benhur Luy ay si Boy Pirma. Ginoong Pangulo, kung ang mismong DBM nga may Boy Xerox na namemeke ng mga SARO, bakit napakahirap paniwalaan na dito sa PDAF ay mayroon namang Boy Pirma na namemeke ng pirma sa mga dokumento? Bakit pag lilinisin ang tauhan nila sa DBM, not guilty without thinking? Pero, kapag kalaban nila, no way? Oh no Mr. President, that’s very aBAD! ( So Benhur Luy is Mr Signature. If the DBM has a Mr Xerox in the SARO scam, why is it so difficult to believe that there is a Mr Signature in the PDAF scam who forges signatures in documents? When it comes to defending their people at DBM, they’re already not guilty? But if the accused is from the opposing side, no way? Oh no Mr. President, that’s very aBAD!)

Revilla denies dealing with Napoles and her employees saying his wealth came from his 30 years in show business.
He discredits the evidence against him by bringing in a special prop.

REVILLA: To the pages, pakipasok nyo na ang trak ng ebidensiya. Ito po ang sinasabi nilang isang trak ng ebidensiya. Ito lang naman pala. Trak-trakan ng mga bata! (To the pages, bring in the truck of evidence! This is the truck of evidence they were talking about. Just this. A toy truck for kids!)

The once popular senator pleads to his fans and voters to believe him saying he too wants justice.

AYEE MACARAIG, REPORTING: Revilla gives a mouthful on the politics and plot allegedly behind the scam. But he is silent on many key questions. How exactly did he know Napoles And why did he confirm the authenticity of signatures, only to later deny they’re his?
Ayee Macaraig, Rappler.

– Rappler.com