By Czarina Nicole O. Ong
The plunder trial of former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. took a surprising turn Thursday morning when pork barrel scam whistleblower Marlina Sula testified in favor of the defense, confessing that she was coaxed by the prosecution to support the testimony of fellow whistleblower, Benhur Luy.
Asked by Revilla's lawyer Reody Anthony Balisi if she knew whether the Cavite senator had first-hand knowledge of the projects being implemented under his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), Sula answered no.
She also denied meeting Revilla while she was still working for Janet Lim Napoles, but she admitted to handling several documents involving the fake non-government organization Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation, Inc.
Sula testified that Luy was responsible for Revilla's forged signatures that endorsed the bogus organization. “Wala pong alam si Senator Revilla sa pag gawa po ng endorsement letters, (Senator Revilla had no clue with regards to the endorsement letters),” she said.
When Balisi asked why Sula is singing a different tune now, compared to her testimony in the 2014 bail hearings, she pointed her finger at the Ombudsman prosecution panel handling his case.
“Sinabihan kasi ako ng panel na mag-corroborate sa sinabi ni Benhur (Luy) kasi si Benhur ang nauna sa bail hearings. Mayroon po siyang mga sinasabi na para sa akin hindi totoo (I was told by the panel to corroborate what Benhur said, because Benhur was first in the bail hearings),” Sula said.
She was then asked to identify who instructed her to do so, and she answered former director and current Judge Joefferson Toribio.
Sula was warned by Associate Justice Edgardo Caldona that her current testimony might endanger her Witness Protection Program status, and she burst into tears.
“Ngayon lang po lumuwag ang loob ko. Noon kasi, pigil na pigil lahat. Pero nung nabasa ko yung (transcript of stenographic notes), mayroon po siyang mga maling sinabi (I feel relieved. Before, everything was restrained. But when I read the transcript of the stenographic notes, some were wrong),” she explained.
Despite what happened, Deputy Special Prosecutor Manuel Soriano said in an interview after the hearing that they remain hopeful.
“May narinig na kami two days ago na she will recant her testimony pero we were hoping na magsasabi siya ng totoo (We heard two days ago that she will recant her testimony, but we were hoping she would tell the truth),” he said.
He does not think that their case was heavily affected since Luy's testimony is still “intact.”
But it is a big deal for the prosecution that Sula testified that Revilla's chief of staff, Richard Cambe, signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA).
“Eh, si Cambe is a trusted staff ni Sen. Revilla, bakit siya pipirma, may gagawin basa PDAF ang isang staff ng senator kung walang blessing ang senator (Why would he sign? Will he do anything with the senator's PDAF without his blessing)?” he asked.
Revilla, who took the witness stand for the first time Thursday, clarified that Cambe, who is his co-accused, is not his chief of staff. Revilla said Cambe only handles “legislative” matters in his office, and “we never discuss money matters.”
Revilla also said he never received any money from Napoles and her cohorts.
He said he might have met Napoleson several social occasions, but he never had any business transactions with her. He even cited one occasion – the wedding of Valenzuela City Councilor Shalani Soledad and former Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo.
Revilla also said he does not understand the charges filed against him, particularly the phrase “overt criminal acts.”
Revilla’s lawyer Estelito Mendoza is thrilled with the outcome of Sula's testimony.
“The prosecution has not proven anything, that witness has just put an exclamation point to that matter, that the prosecution has not proven the charges or the allegations against Revilla,” he said.
Revilla is facing one plunder charge and 16 counts of graft because of the misuse of his PDAF, which he reportedly endorsed to the bogus NGOs owned by Napoles in exchange for kickbacks.
He is currently detained in the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.