Press Release
October 1, 2013

Drilon unfazed by graft charges by Syjuco

Senator Franklin M. Drilon described today the plunder case filed anew against him by discredited politician, former Iloilo Rep. Augusto "Boboy" Syjuco Jr. as a pathetic and desperate move to malign him.

"This is part of the demolition job against me. That Syjuco will not stop from filing nuisance cases against me until he fulfills his obligation to his bosses financing him to implicate my name in corruption and malfeasance," said Drilon.

"They will continue to bombard the Ombudsman with unfounded cases against me. It is obvious that his objective in doing all these is to distract the attention of the public from the real issue," he said.

He said Syjuco has been doing media rounds to dishonor him before the public. "At the proper time, I will hold him responsible for these malicious and baseless cases."

"I had nothing to do with the purchase of the land as mentioned in the graft complaint of Syjuco. It was the Iloilo City government which purchased that land. I had no participation whatsoever in the purchase of that land," stressed Drilon.

Last week, Syjuco filed a graft case against Drilon in connection with the construction of the Iloilo Hall of Justice which happened 22 years ago when Drilon was the secretary of the Department of Justice.

Drilon said the plunder cases filed against him before the Ombudsman by Syjuco and his cohorts are all malicious and baseless.

"To set the record straight, I had no involvement in the construction of the Iloilo Hall of Justice because the fund was coursed through the Department of Public Works and Highways Central Office. I was told the project was aboveboard, there was proper bidding, and there was nothing illegal and anomalous about the project which was completed in 1992," said Drilon.

Drilon added that Syjuco held grudges against him because he thought it was Drilon who caused his defeat in the last election when the senator supported his rival, now Rep. Arcadio Gorriceta.

Drilon said Syjuco himself has been facing a number of graft cases before the Sandiganbayan for overpricing supplies when he was director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Syjuco is masquerading as an anti-graft crusader when, on the contrary, he himself had been involved in various anomalous activities both as former TESDA director general and congressman, which were the main reasons why the Ilonggos rejected him last election.

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