Bong Revilla: Does my wife Lani look like a dummy?

By PATRICIA DENISE CHIU, GMA News

Published October 23, 2014 4:16pm

Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. on Thursday defended his wife Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado over allegations of the Anti-Money Laundering Council that she is the owner of a dummy corporation

"S'an ka naman nakakita ng dummy corporation na nandoon ang pangalan ni Lani? Mukha ba siyang dummy?" Revilla said, laughing off the allegations.

But State Prosecutor Joefferson Toribio said that the AMLC testimony strengthened the case against Revilla, adding that a fake name was not the only basis to consider a corporation a dummy, or front, company.

"That is not the only consideration there. There are other points and reasons for them in saying that [Mercado's business is a dummy corporation,]" he said.

Revilla, who is accused of plunder and graft for allegedly conniving with businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles to divert millions of pesos in pork barrel fund allocations to dubious non-government organizations, is detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center.

In one of Revilla's bail hearings, AMLC representative Leigh Vohn Santos testified that Mercado's Nature Concepts Development and Realty Corporation made huge cash deposits during approximate times when Revilla's staff Richard Cambe allegedly received kickback money from Benhur Luy.

Luy was a trusted aide of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles. He has since turned whistleblower and is the primary witness in the government's plunder and graft charges against Revilla, Cambe, Napoles and Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada.

On Thursday, Santos resumed his testimony and explained how the AMLC's investigation had led the agency to conclude that Nature Concepts was a dummy corporation.

"It looks like a legitimate business but it hasn't been operating since 2007," Santos said.

He added that while the company provided no financial statements since 2007, its bank account continued to receive large inflows of money until 2012.

Revilla's lawyer Attorney Joel Bodegon insisted that Mercado's business is legitimate, if only starting up.

"May mga transaction na nagawa dun na legal at legitimate so papano magiging dummy? At hindi naman delisted ng SEC ang korporasyon na yun. Sinasabi lang walang ginagawang business, eh nagsisimula pa lang yung Nature Concepts. So, walang bearing yung ganun," Bodegon said.

When asked about the nature of the company, Revilla merely said that it dealt in real estate. Bodegon added that Nature Concepts was a holding company.

"Holding company lang 'yan. Ang business niyan eh maghawak ng pera at mag-benta ng ari-arian. Nung 2012 ata nag benta sila ng house and lot sa Alabang Village, at yun ang mga nade-deposito sa account. Wala naman yung relasyon sa plunder charge ni Revilla, kasi ni hindi stock holder si Revilla sa corporation na yun. Kay Congresswoman Lani yun," Bodegon said.

Revilla dismissed Santos' testimony since he said his money had been legitimately earned.

"Alam naman siguro ng sambayanan kung sino talaga si Bong Revilla. Kung ano ang ating pinaghirapan. Mahigit isang daang pelikula na ang nagawa ko, siguro naman lahat kumita, wala pang flop, kahit isa," Revilla said, adding that the amount he allegedly stole is but "loose change" for a successful actor.

"Lahat ng binabanggit nilang pera sa korte, legal na pinaghirapan ko. Una sabi P1.2 billion ang paratang sa akin, P500 million, P400 million, P200 million. Naging P87 million na lang, paliit ng paliit. Siguro yung P87 million na yun, barya ng barya lang yun para sa atin. Hindi naman sa pagmamayabang. Pinaghirapan ko para sa pamilya ko. Dalawa pa kami ni Lani na nagtatrabaho niyan," he said. —NB, GMA News

Tags: bantaykaban, porkbarrelscam, sandiganbayan, ramonrevillajr