SENATOR Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday filed plunder charges against Senator Richard Gordon before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged corruption.
He said the filing of charges was not politically motivated, and that he only wanted an investigation into Gordon’s alleged corruption.
He called Gordon a hypocrite and questioned his integrity as the chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
“As if he [Gordon] was a saint the way he would preach [us at the Senate],” Trillanes said.
Citing conflict of interest, he accused Gordon of using his P193-million Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel to finance some “anomalous” projects of the Red Cross at the time he was its chairman.
He said Gordon abused his authority to advance his political ambition.
“There is a very clear anomaly and/or conflict of interest in this case of Senator Gordon making the allocation of the said funds because he has been a governor and has been the chairman and chief executive officer of the Philippine Red Cross since 2004 up to the present,” Trillanes’ complaint says.
He included Red Cross secretary-general Gwen Pang in the complaint for disbursing money from the organization’s funds without the approval of the board of governors, and that she also
disbursed funds from Gordon’s pork barrel without a public bidding.
He cited an anonymous email and a formal complaint to the Red Cross’ board of governors filed by then PRC internal auditor and chief accountant Jeric Sian in 2013.
“Mr. Sian claims that Ms. Pang ‘purchased 500,000 pieces of plastic whistles for a total of P12 million with ‘No BOG Approval’ and ‘No Public Bidding’, with P1.8 million being charged to the PDAF of Chairman Gordon,” the complaint says.
Citing Sian’s complaint, Trillanes said Gordon used the Red Cross funds to buy karaoke machines and ballers bearing his name in 2009 and 2010 when he ran for president.”
“Media placements made in favor of Mejan Inc. in the amount of more than P29 million were made to promote participation in the Million Volunteer Run of the Red Cross before Gordon ran in the 2013 senatorial race, and that over P5 million was spent by Red Cross for its website,” the complaint says.