This is the perfect time to ask, “Ano ba talaga?!”
“Contrary to news reports, no plunder charges have been filed against Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Bong Revilla in connection with the PHP10-billion pork barrel scam, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales clarified on Thursday, Nov 21,” reports Ernie Reyes on InterAksyon.com.
Previous reports said that the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office (FIO) has filed a complaint separate from the first complaint submitted by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
According to the report, the clarification was made by Carpio-Morales during a chance interview after the budget hearing at the Senate. Morales said “a mere recommendation for a preliminary investigation on the previously submitted plunder complaint remains with the Office of the Ombudsman.”
This is how Carpio-Morales’ explained it: “No such case has been lodged by the FIO before the Sandiganbayan against Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr., and Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile. (The FIO) recommended that charges be subjected to preliminary investigation. The preliminary investigation is different from the filing of the case before the Sandiganbayan.”
The report went on to say that Morales also “belied the existence of an eight-page memorandum submitted to her by the Ombudsman’s investigative team allegedly naming Enrile as the mastermind in the scam.”
Photo from Office of the Ombudsman
