Bong wants to scrutinize bank accounts of 'pork' whistleblowers

MANILA, Philippines - In preparation for the start of the trial of his plunder case next month, former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. has asked the Sandiganbayan to issue a subpoena on the bank records of pork barrel scam primary state witness Benhur Luy and two other whistleblowers.

In his motion filed before the Sandiganbayan First Division, Revilla, through his lawyers, said the production of the bank records of Luy as well as the bank records of latter's mother Gertrudes and brother Arthur, would be relevant in the trial of the case.

Revilla also asked for the production of the bank records of two other pork scam whistleblowers Marina Sula and Merlina Suñas, former employees of businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged brains of the scam.

Revilla pointed out that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), in a pending civil forfeiture case filed before Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 53 in February 2014, listed not only the bank accounts and other assets of Napoles, but also those of Luy, Gertrudes, Arthur, Sula and Suñas as related to the pork barrel scam.

Revilla stressed that aside from Napoles, the Luys, Sula and Suñas were in fact named as respondents in the AMLC's civil forfeiture case,

“Accused Revilla respectfully submits that therein respondents in the AMLC Case are responsible for the illegal appropriation of the PDAF funds, including those subject of this case,” Revilla said.

“Accordingly, an inquiry into the whereabouts of the illegally acquired amount subject of this case must likewise be extended to those deposits recorded in the names of the respondents in the AMLC Case,” he added.

Sought to be subpoenaed by Revilla's camp were the following:

Behur Luy's 30 bank accounts – 14 with Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (Metro Bank), six with United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB), four accounts each with Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and Banco De Oro Unibank Inc. (BDO), and two with Metrobank Card Corporation.

Arthur Luy's 21 bank accounts composed of ten accounts with BDO and 11 accounts with Metro Bank.

Gertrudes Luy's five bank accounts – three with Metro Bank, one with UCPB and one with Metrobank Card Corporation.

Sula's 15 bank accounts – three accounts each with Metro Bank, Citi Bank and Metrobank Card Corp., two accounts each with Land Bank of the Philippines and Philippine Savings Bank and one account each with BPI and UCPB.

Suñas' seven bank accounts – five with Metro Bank and one each with UCPB and Metrobank Card Corp.

Revilla asked the First Division to order the representatives of these banks to produce the records that he is seeking for on May 19, the preliminary conference date earlier set by the court for the prosecution and the defense to finish marking their documentary exhibits for the case.

The trial proper of Revilla's plunder case is set to start on June 1, after previous postponements.

Napoles' camp had earlier claimed that it was the whistleblowers who truly benefitted from the scam as it was to their bank accounts where the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel of several lawmakers were deposited.

Luy, Sula, Suñas and the other whistleblowers were named as presidents and/or incorporators of the bogus non-government organizations allegedly chosen by the lawmakers for the implementation of their PDAF-funded “ghost” projects.