Senate President Franklin Drilon confirmed the existence of Php50 million given to senators after the trial of ousted chief justice Renato Corona, but denied that it was a bribe or a reward for conviction.
In a privilege speech Wednesday, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada blasted he accusations against him involving the pork barrel scam, and revealed the existence of the additional Priority Development Assitance Fund (PDAF) allocation or pork barrel given to senators after the trial.
Sen. Estrada had insinuated that this additional PDAF was in payment for a vote to convict Corona.
He admitted that he also availed of the additional fund.
Sen. Drilon clarified that the Php50 million was released as part of the PDAF allocation to senators, which was withheld during the entirety of the impeachment trial, and stressed that the amount was not in payment for a vote to convict Corona of graft and betreyal of public trust.
“What I remember was during the four-month Corona trial no PDAF was released by Malacañang precisely to avoid suspicions that funds were being peddled to influence the trial,” he said.
Sen. Estrada said in his speech that a letter was sent to senators detailing the alleged additional funds.
“I have yet to see that letter mentioned by Senator Estrada. But if the insinuation is that the Department of Budget and Management and I gave out additional PDAF funds as incentives to those who voted to convict then Chief Justice Renato Corona, that is not true,” Sen. Drilon said in an earlier statement.
Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, also admitted to receiving the funds, but denied the existence of the “private” and confidential letter allegedly issued by Sen. Drilon three months after the conviction.
“If the issue is to connect it (the additional PDAF) to the voting, then there is none,” he said.
Atty. Rico Paolo Quicho, counsel to Corona during the impeachment trial, criticized the apparent move to cover up the additional funds.
“Whether or not it is bribery, rests on the conscience of each senator,” he said.
He also criticized the administration for what he called “impropriety”.
“The totality of the acts of the administration after the impeachment would show that rewards were given to senators through PDAF, private prosecutors to government posts, and public prosecutors with their re-elections,” he said.
“All contrary to the Daang Matuwid (Straight Path) program,” he added.
(with reports from The Philippine Star and The Philippine Inquirer)