Cebu Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullas said his inclusion in a list of legislators who allegedly received kickbacks for allocating portions of their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to bogus non-government organizations linked to Napoles was “outrageous” and “makes no sense at all.”
“To begin with, I am the only pure first-termer among the 69 incumbent and former members of the House of Representatives ostensibly in the list. This is my first term ever as a congressman. I was not even a congressman yet between the time Janet Napoles and her gang of thieves were plundering public funds, until they were finally caught,” he said in a statement.
Gullas said his constituents never had the chance to benefit from his PDAF allocation because the Supreme Court blocked the release of the funds – more commonly known as “pork barrel” – in September 2013, a few months after the scam was first reported by the media.
Members of Congress assumed their posts on July 1.
The lawmaker said his inclusion in the list that former senator Panfilo Lacson submitted to the Senate blue ribbon committee this week must be part of a strategy by “culpable” parties who stand to gain from public confusion from the existence of different lists.
Another version of Napoles’ list is currently with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
“I can surmise that whoever inserted my name in one of the Napoles list is out to sow extreme hysteria and confusion– in an attempt to spoil the ongoing investigation into the PDAF scam by dragging blameless individuals like me,” Gullas said.
Gullas represents the First District of Cebu, which his grandfather, Eduardo Gullas, represented for three terms from 2004 to 2013.
Out of Congress
Pampanga Rep. Oscar Rodriguez, meanwhile, told reporters he couldn’t have allocated his PDAF to Napoles-linked NGOs because he was not in Congress when Napoles was allegedly carrying out the scam.
The businesswoman reportedly began transacting with lawmakers in 2004, during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Rodriguez served as mayor of San Fernando city in Pampanga from 2004 to 2013.
“Natawa ako at may konting inis dahil kasama yung pangalan ko sa listahan. Nine years akong wala dito (House). Noong dumating ako, nawala ang PDAF, kaya paano naman ako mai-involve diyan?” he said.
The lawmaker, who chairs the committee on good government and public accountability, said he is prepared to inhibit from any investigation of the scam in the House “out of delicadeza” should it be referred to his panel.
But unless charges against him are proven, Rodriguez said he will remain in his post as committee chair.
Rodriguez challenged Napoles’ camp to show documents of her transactions with him to prove they dealt with each other.
“Mas makakabuti kung magpapakita siya ng pruweba ng mga dealings daw namin. That will be fair not just for me, but for all of us [who are involved] as well,” he said.
‘Fake’ signature
In a privilege speech delivered Wednesday, Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla said he never entered into any dealings with Napoles.
“We wish to emphasize that not a centavo of our PDAF from 1995 to 2004 and from 2007 to present has been earmarked either to the DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communication) or to Napoles,” he said.
He claimed it was also untrue that he entered into another transaction with DOTC in 2003, for which he requested various communications and IT (information technology) equipment amounting to P48 million.
“It is obvious that [the] signature that appears on the document is fake,” he said.
Based on the documents shown by Padilla, the items were delivered to Barangay Poblacion South in Solano town on July 16, 2004.
He noted that the signature of the official who reportedly received the delivery, Mayor Tony Dupiano, was also forged.
Furthermore, Padilla said, the barangay captain indicated in the delivery document was from another barangay, Poblacion North.
Based on former senator Lacson’s copy of the list, 10 incumbent senators and two members of President Benigno Aquino III’s Cabinet also benefited from the scam. — JDS, GMA News
