TWO congressmen from the Bicol region, former Albay Rep. Reno Lim and incumbent Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte, disputed the corruption charges against them.
Lim disputed the claim of government lawyers that he had “effective control of his Priority Development Assistance Fund and was thus accountable” for the disbursement of P30 million to bogus non-government organizations.
Villafuerte, on the other hand, argued that his suspension over charges that he was behind the questionable acquisition of fuel while he was still Camarines Sur governor was illogical.
Lim said his letters requesting then speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. for the release of his PDAF allocation worth of P15 million did not suffice to prove his guilt.
“The letters mentioned were actually ‘protocol letters, a standard operating procedure prescribed in the House of Representatives for the release of the PDAF allocation. Protocol letters do not carry the weight of an order,” Lim said.
“The said letters were in the nature of a request and the Speaker of the House had a complete discretion to act on it. He may or may not endorse it to the DBM. The point is, accused Lim, or any congressman for that matter, had no effective control on the PDAF allocation,” he added.
Lim said his PDAF allocation would only be released to the Technology Resource Center only upon the approval of the Office of the Speaker.
“It is unfair to the [defendant] to be accused of conspiracy in the commission of the crime charged, when in truth and in fact, he is innocent of all the charges,” Lim, through his lawyers, said.
Villafuerte, on the other hand, said his suspension was “illogical” because he could no longer influence anyone at the Camarines Sur capitol because he is no longer governor.
“The Sandiganbayan order to the House leadership to implement my suspension is not even preventive but punitive. It was ostensibly done to ensure that I would not influence the investigation into the charges filed against me when I was still governor. How could I have any influence left in my former office when I am no longer the governor?” Where is the logic in that?” Villafuerte said.
Villafuerte was referring to the case leveled against him before the anti-graft court by Carlo Batalla, a former member of CamSur’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan over the alleged questionable deliveries to the
provincial government of petroleum products.
“While the order of the Sandiganbayan states that the preventive suspension is not a penalty, the fact that I will not be able to represent my district and serve my constituents owing to this suspension order makes it punitive and a penalty,” Villafuerte said.
LRay said the 90-day suspension order was “absurd,” as it was based on charges involving acts that were allegedly committed when he was still the governor of CamSur.
“The absurdity is obvious in that the Sandiganbayan wants me suspended as a congressman when the charges involve acts that I supposedly did when I was still governor,” Villafuerte said.
