MANILA, Philippines — Senator Antonio Trillanes IV ratcheted up his row with Senator Richard Gordon, filing complaints of plunder, graft, malversation of public funds, and violations of the Government Procurement Act and the Code Of Conduct For Public Officials And Employees before the Office of the Ombudsman.
The complaints have to do with Gordon’s alleged diversion of P193 million from his priority assistance developement fund, or pork barrel, from 2004 to 2012, to the Pilippine Red Cross, which he chairs.
The complaint named PRC secretary general Gwendloyn Pang as Gordon’s co-respondent.
Trillanes said there was a clear conflict of inerest for Gordon to give PDAF funds to an organization he heads.
He added that Gordon could have used the funds for his failed presidential bid in 2010 and his senatorial run in 2013.
While acknowledging that senators could allocate prt of their pork barrel to the Red Cross, Trillanes said the problem was that Gordon, as the organization’ chairman, also decided how the money is disbursed.
Trillanes said he would also ask the Commission on Audit to conduct a special audit of public funds allocated to the PRC.
He said he was also preparing to file another complaint, this time involving the sale of Red Cross properties, supposedly for profit, while other cases are being prepared, this time over Subic Bay.
READ TRILLANES’ COMPLAINT AGAINST GORDON: