(Top to down) Former Iloilo Representative Augusto Syjuco Jr. and Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines鈥擨f former Iloilo Representative Augusto Syjuco Jr. can prove that聽Senate聽President Franklin Drilon has a mansion in Forbes聽Park, then 鈥渉e can have it,鈥� Drilon鈥檚 chief of staff said.
Lawyer聽Renato N. Bantug聽Jr.聽issued聽the challenge in聽response to Syjuco鈥檚聽 allegation that the Senate leader鈥檚聽 stepdaughter, Eduarda Genuino,聽owned聽 a 1, 542-square-meter mansion worth P50 million in Forbes Park, an enclave for the rich in Makati City.
鈥淪yjuco鈥檚 allegations have long been debunked, they are old lies that Syjuco has been peddling again and again. Syjuco is fond of calling attention to himself. It is obvious he is rehashing old fabrications to get a piece of the spotlight,鈥澛燘antug said in a text message sent to 聽 through staff聽member in Drilon鈥檚聽office.
鈥淚f Syjuco can definitely prove that Senator Drilon owns a mansion in Forbes Park, he can have it,鈥澛爃e said.
The alleged property was聽 only one of the聽 allegations聽 enumerated聽 by the former lawmaker against聽Drilon in an聽 open letter聽 he sent to senators ahead of聽Thursday鈥檚聽 investigation into the allegedly overpriced聽Iloilo Convention聽 Center (ICC),聽 a which was聽 the Senate leader鈥檚 pet project.
鈥淢iss Genuino, aged only in her 20s at that time, is聽a stepdaughter of Senator聽Franklin Drilon. She was a simple wage earner then, and could not on her own produce that amount聽of money. Did her job pay her enough for聽her to purchase聽a P50-million Forbes Park house?鈥� Syjuco聽said.
鈥淲hen she acquired this property, she was single and she listed as her address the house of Drilon at 49 Polk Street, North Greenhills, San Juan Metro Manila,鈥� he added.
But聽 instead of fabricating stories,聽 Bantug聽 said Syjuco聽 should聽 just face and聽 answer the聽 serious charges聽 lodged against him聽 when聽 he was still the head of the聽 Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).
鈥淪yjuco, who is out on bail, having been the subject of various graft cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in the Sandiganbayan, should instead face and answer the serious charges against him in connection with anomalous transactions and overpricing of equipment during his stint at Tesda,鈥� Drilon鈥檚 lawyer聽said.
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