Ruby Tuason won't be restricted in naming names during Senate testimony
The public will no longer be left guessing on the identity of politicians involved in the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam when potential state witness Ruby Tuason appears at the Senate on Thursday.
In an interview Tuesday, Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, blue ribbon committee chairman, said Tuason will not be restricted in naming individuals she has transacted with involving government funds.
“This should be no holds barred, in the spirit of transparency and openness... Her testimony is important in the sense na pinangalanan niya. She says she can narrate when it was done, where it was done, and under what circumstances,” Guingona told reporters.
Asked if he is worried about drawing the ire of some of his colleagues due to Tuason's testimomy, Guingona, an administration ally, said, “Part of my job.”
During principal whistleblower Benhur Luy's testimony at the Senate last September, he did not identify politicians involved in the pork barrel scam, upon the request of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
Due to this, Luy resorted to using codenames, such as Senator "Sexy," during his appearance before the Senate blue ribbon committee.
Guingona likewise said that Luy, as well as other whistleblowers Marina Sula and Merlina Suñas, will be also reinvited to the Senate on Thursday.
“Para ma-compare natin ang sinabi ng isa sa isa. At least magkakaroon ng malinaw na pagkakatugma ng testimonies nila,” he said.
He added that he will also quiz Tuason about her motive in coming out with a testimony against detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and other politicians involved in the alleged anomaly.
Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile are currently facing plunder raps before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly receiving kickbacks from the scam. — KBK, GMA News