BInay urges the government to probe its allies involved in pork scam.
MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay believes that the wheels of justice in the country are moving forward, after Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. were all charged with plunder after allegedly helping funnel off huge sums from their Priority Development Assistance Fund through bogus nongovernmental organizations reportedly set up by businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.
But he underscored that the government should also go after any of its allies involved in the multi-billion peso pork and barrel scam.
“The case will also test if the drive for reforms will be blind to political motives. If it (government) stops with the filing of the plunder cases against three senators who are not political allies and confines itself to the Napoles case, it will create the impression of being selective, and that political partisanship — not justice — is the sole motivation behind these charges,” Binay said.
Enrile and Estrada are allies of Binay in the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), while Revilla is an ally of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“In the event that the Ombudsman denies the motions for reconsideration and proceeds with the filing before the Sandiganbayan, I am confident that our courts will accord the three senators their right to a fair trial as provided for by the constitution,” he said.
“We hope the concerned government agencies will act on these findings with the same determination and focus (they) displayed in the Napoles case. The public would want no less than full accountability from its public officials. The rule of law must prevail regardless of stature or political affiliations,” he added.