MANILA, Feb. 7 (PNA) — Justice Secretary Leila M. De Lima on Friday confirmed that Ruby Tuason, one of those charged with plunder in connection with the alleged priority development assistance fund (PDAF misuse, applied for and was granted WPP (witness protection program) coverage to turn state witness in the pork barrel scam cases.
Detained businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles is the alleged “brains” behind the P10-billion pork barrel and the P900- million Malampaya fund scams.
De Lima said that Tuason executed her sworn statement and authenticated it before the Consul General’s Office in San Francisco, California.
She added that Tuason returned to the country Friday from the United States to submit and reaffirm her sworn statement before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the pending cases before that office.
For her part, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said that Tuason’s application to turn state witness will be “conditional.”
Morales added that Tuason’s appearance before the Ombudsman is for the purpose of reaffirming her sworn affidavit.
Tuason, now under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), is among those charged with plunder before the Ombudsman, together with Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and several others in September last year. (source: Philippine News Agency)