President Rodrigo Duterte denied that he had a hand in linking Senate Minority leader Franklin Drilon in the alleged Priority Development Assistance Fund scam masterminded by Janet Napoles.
“If I talked to somebody urging a case against you in PDAF, bring the person in my presence, and I will resign because you are my friend,” Duterte said before leaving for India.
The President said he would never initiate a case buildup against Drilon since he considers the veteran lawmaker his “friend.”
Drilon reportedly received P5 million from Napoles who donated the money for the senator’s campaign in 2010 elections.
Duterte assured Drilon that he had no hand in the claims against the Drilon.
“It is not in my system, it is not in my style na maghabol,” he said. “I told you before in front of so many congressmen, I have nothing against you.”
Napoles, who is now detained at Camp Bagng Diwa for multi-billion peso plunder charges, revealed that she gave P5 million to Drilon but lamented that she did not get any help from the senator.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque has said that the claim must be investigated although he added that the Palace is leaving the investigation to the Department of Justice.
Told of the President’s statement, Drilon Duterte for saying that “he has his respect and he considers me a friend.”
Drilon also clarified that if I had disagreements with the President, it is always on matters of policy.
“I have never attacked the President on a personal level,” also stressed Drilon.
“In fact, I remain grateful for, and acknowledge, the support the President gave me, as mayor of Davao City, in all my election campaigns. I hope we remain friends. He has my full respect,” added the Senate leader.
“I have never said that the President talked to anyone to file a case against me, or anything to that effect,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party on Wednesday bewailed the diversionary tactic being employed by the Duterte administration by launching smear campaign and false accusations against members of the opposition.
“This administration has a pattern that when it is cornered, they clean and divert the issue,” the LP said in a statement.
The former ruling party said the latest latest attack on the opposition concerned the allegation Drilon, LP’s vice chairman.
Drilon had strongly denied receiving any campaign contribution from Napoles.
“We have submitted our Statements of Contributions and Expenditures, which are open for public scrutiny,” said Drilon who added that they will not further give any comment on such obviously “fake news.”
LP president Senator Francis Pangilinan noted that such tactic was only meant to divert the attention of the public from the controversies hounding the Duterte administration.
Instead of explaining and answering the accusation, Pangilinan said the administration resorted to maligning reputation and peddling lies against critics.
Pangilinan noted that the current government is attacking those who do not agree with their policies or what they’re doing.
“They already did this to [our] partymate Senator Leila De Lima due to the hearing of [Edgar] Matobato and [Eduardo] Lascañas over EJKs [extrajudicial killings]. They did this when the killing of Kian delos Santis was caught on CCTV; the alleged LP destabilization; also in the P6.4-billion BoC shabu smuggling and the involvement of resigned Davao City Vice Mayor and presidential son Polong in drug syndicate; they came out with fake bank account of Sen. Trillanes. At ngayon ito.”
Pangilinan said the Duterte administration is diverting public attention fron these important issues—high prices, the administration’s excessive generosity to China (not only in the Scarborough and West Philippine Sea but also Benham Rise), and the meddling of Presidential Assistant Bong Go in the removal of Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado of the Philippine Navy and in the P15.7-billion warship contract to frigate.