Senator Bong Revilla INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines鈥揂nticipating his imminent arrest, Sen. Bong Revilla is taking advantage of his remaining days as a free man by making the rounds of communities to defend himself in the face of allegations that he plundered his pork barrel allocations.
Revilla is also apparently hurting following President Aquino鈥檚 Independence Day speech that lambasted senators tagged in the pork barrel scam and urged voters to shun entertainers in the 2016 elections.
For Revilla, the plunder charges filed against him were meant to clear the way for the administration鈥檚 presumptive presidential candidate: Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.
鈥淒o we still have to memorize that? We know who鈥檚 the bet of the administration. This is all for 鈥楤oy Pickup,鈥欌�� he said in Filipino on Nimfa Ravelo鈥檚 program on radio dzBB, referring to Roxas.
In January, Revilla said in a privilege speech that Roxas drove him to Malaca帽ang to meet with Aquino in the middle of the impeachment trial of then Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012. Revilla suggested that the President wanted him to vote for the conviction of Corona.
With the Sandiganbayan expected to issue an arrest warrant soon, Revilla said his bags were already packed and he was ready to go to jail.
鈥淚 have no plan to run away from this case because, I repeat, my conscience is clear,鈥� he added. 鈥淚f I would run at all, it would be in an election.鈥�
Revilla admitted that he might gun for the presidency in 2016 even from behind bars.
鈥淲hen that time comes, the people will be the judge. What if I win even if I am detained?鈥� he asked.
Commenting on Revilla鈥檚 plan, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said on Sunday: 鈥淚t鈥檚 his right to express himself.鈥�
Revilla took offense at Aquino鈥檚 Independence Day speech in Naga City in which the President said: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 need good script readers, good at dancing or singing.鈥�
鈥淟et鈥檚 just look at my performance in the Senate since I began my term and let鈥檚 look at his track record when he was at the Senate,鈥� said Revilla, an actor who topped the 2010 senatorial race.
鈥淓ven if his education is higher than mine, I can say that I accomplished more than he did as a senator,鈥� he added.
Aquino鈥檚 paltry legislative record as a three-term member of the House of Representatives and, later, as a senator for three years, was a major issue thrown against him during the 2010 presidential election.
Revilla said going around communities prior to his arrest would allow him to validate Malaca帽ang鈥檚 鈥渘ew media鈥� team鈥檚 finding that 鈥�99.93 percent鈥� of netizens had a negative reaction to his privilege speech on June 10.
鈥淥ur countrymen still love me even if a lot of minds have been poisoned [in this pork barrel controversy],鈥� he said.
鈥淏ut the truth will come out and the day will come when I will leave prison holding my head up high, if they will send me to prison.鈥�
Originally posted:聽4:45 pm | Sunday, June 15th, 2014
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