00:00Senator Bong Revilla endorsed then-presidential candidate Ferdinand R. Marcus Jr. in Cavite in March 2022
00:06and helped him win the vote-rich province in the presidential race that year.
00:11The year before, he stood as principal sponsor to Revilla's daughter in her nuptials
00:15and hand-picked him for his Senate ticket in last year's elections.
00:20So Bong Revilla is still going to jail, pending adjudication over malversation of public funds
00:25on a 93 million Bulacan flood control project.
00:29As our Kenneth Pasciente reports.
00:33President Ferdinand R. Marcus Jr. expressed his confidence in the integrity of former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan
00:41following his appearance before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on alleged anomalies in flood control projects.
00:47Naniniwala po ang Pangulo na si dating Secretary Manny Bonoan ay magsasabi ng katatuhanan,
00:54lalong-lalo naman po na siya ay nasasinado at under oath ang kanyang mga sinasabi.
00:58So kailangan lamang po tayo umasa na mga katatuhanan lamang ang kanyang sasabihin.
01:02It can be recalled that Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Laxon previously revealed
01:07that Bonoan allegedly deliberately provided incorrect information to Balacanang
01:12regarding the locations of flood control projects.
01:15However, the palace stressed that the President has not yet issued any directive
01:19to repeat the entire investigation on flood control projects despite alleged irregularities in reporting.
01:24Wala pong ganyan. Kailangan lamang po talaga maitama.
01:28Kung ano po ang nangyayari pag-iimbestiga ngayon, sabi naman po ng DPWH,
01:32bago sila magsampa, tinitignan po nila ng maigi.
01:36Kung may pagkakamali, hindi lang po agad nila ito sinasampa.
01:39At ang sinasampa po naman nila, ayunanin po kahapon, ay yung may tamang data at facts.
01:45It is within the jurisdiction of the DPWH.
01:48So it's up to sequence, to make amendments, to correct everything,
01:54so that the real culprits will be held liable.
01:57Balacanang also highlighted the President's sincerity despite criticism from some lawmakers
02:03regarding the creation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure or ICI.
02:08The palace said that there will always be some who will never be satisfied with the President's actions.
02:13Balacanang maintained that the work of the ICI is not yet finished
02:16and that it is still continuing its fact-finding efforts in order to recommend possible charges.
02:22In response to those claiming that the creation of the ICI is merely for show
02:25and intended to protect the President's allies, the palace responded,
02:29Ang kasama ng Pangulo sa aliyansa ay walang iba kundi ang dating Sen. Bong-Ribilla.
02:36At si Sen. Bong-Ribilla ay sumuko po.
02:41I-ginalang ang proseso, i-ginalang ang warrant of arrest, i-ginalang ang korte.
02:48Paano po masasabing palabas lang ang ICI?
02:51Ang ICI, ang mga member po nito, ay nagtatrabaho.
02:56Malamang ay hindi na halos nakakatulog at the time dahil puno at overwhelmed sila
03:01sa mga dokumento at mga ebidensyang natatanggap nila.
03:04Nakakalungkot na may mga ganitong klaseng tao na hindi nakikita ang kanggandahang ginagawa ng gobyerno.
03:10Ang nakikita lamang nila ay puro negatibo.
03:15Gumagawa ng kwento, nag-iimbento ng mga walang saisay na istorya para masiraan lang ang gobyerno.
03:24The President also expressed surprise over the surrender of former Sen. Bong-Ribilla
03:29but said this only proves that no one is spared in the investigation
03:32and that due process is not being compromised.
03:36But is this just the beginning of the arrest of the so-called big fish in corruption involving flood control projects?
03:41Hindi po siya simula. Halos nasa gitna na nga po siguro tayo eh.
03:47Dahil tandaan po natin bago magpasko, marami na po ang nakaroon ng warrant of arrest.
03:53Marami na na-issue ang warrant of arrest.
03:55Isa rito, hindi lang siguro tinuturong ng iba, na big fish ang Diskaya.
04:01Sila po ay na-aresto. Si Sarah Diskaya ay napa-aresto, napakulong bago magpasko.
04:07So, hindi po siya, hindi po ito yung initial na pagpapanagot sa mga sinasabing big fish.
04:17The palace also said that the DOJ report stating that only 14 flood control projects have been confirmed as ghost projects
04:24is still just an initial report and authorities will continue their investigation into the matter.
04:30Kenneth Pasyente from the National TV for a new and better Philippines.
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