Palace wonders: How will PNoy's testimony help Bong?

MANILA, Philippines — What could President Benigno Aquino III possibly say in defense of Senator Ramon Revilla Jr.?

This was the question of Malacañang on Thursday as it reacted to Revilla's move to have Aquino testify in his plunder trial at the Sandiganbayan.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said it will be interesting to know how the Chief Executive and other members of the Cabinet could possibly prove Revilla's defense that he did not personally gain from the pork barrel scam.

"How will their appearance or testimony add any iota of defense or assistance to his claim that he did not profit?" Lacierda said at a televised press briefing.

He could not answer, however, whether or not the anti-graft court can subpoena the President and make him testify in Revilla's defense.

"It will be interesting to know. It will be the first time [to have] a sitting president as a witness," Lacierda said.

"We will defer to the Sandiganbayan's view of that particular request for summoning President Aquino to the witness stand," he added.

The Palace official also accepted the possibility of Aquino testifying — if asked by the court — even after his term since the trial can drag on beyond 2016.

On Wednesday, Revilla's lawyers submitted a pre-trial brief to the Sandiganbayan First Division and listed Aquino as one of the witnesses whom the senator wants to testify in his case.

Revilla's lawyers also want to call to testify President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas II, Budget Secretary Butch Abad, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Commission of Audit chairman Grace Pulido-Tan.

The senator's team is planning to present at total of 27 witnesses during the court proceedings.

Revilla is facing plunder and 16 counts of graft before the anti-graft court for allegedly pocketing over P224 million in kickbacks in endorsement of projects funded by his pork barrel through fake non-government organizations of businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.

Aside from Revilla and Napoles, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile are also facing plunder and graft charges before the Sandiganbayan.

The three senators have been detained at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame while Napoles is being held at another police camp, Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna province. -Louis Bacani