The Commission on Audit is perplexed why Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla has sought the help of a handwriting expert to determine the authenticity of the signatures on Revilla's pork barrel releases.

"Senator Revilla is saying now that it is fake? Pero nung humingi kami ng confirmation sa kanya, he confirmed the authenticity of the signatures of his representative,” said COA chairperson Grace Pulido Tan in a “24 Oras” report. “We have everything in writing.”

“Seriously,” she emphasized.
Revilla is one of the lawmakers implicated in the pork barrel scam in which Priority Development Assistance Funds were allegedly funneled to dubious or bogus Non-Government Organizations in exchange for hefty kickbacks.

But he has consistently denied any involvement in the scam, denied knowing the scam's alleged mastermind, and now denies that the signatures on his pork barrel releases are genuine.

According to a comprehensive COA report, Revilla sent P503.69 million of his pork barrel to eight questionable NGOs from 2007 to 2009.

Two of these NGOs were managed by the scam's whistleblower, Benhur Luy, who has accused businesswoman and now fugitive suspect Janet Lim-Napoles of being the ringleader of the alleged fraud.

"Kasi ang mga dokumento sa NGOs na namin nakuha. So ibinalik na namin sa kanila. Pinakita pa ho namin. Ito po ba ang pirma niya? Ganun po ang audit," Tan explained.

Revilla could not be reached for comment as of posting time, but he did, on Wednesday, release astatement through his legal counsel denying any irregularities in his pork-barrel releases.

According to the COA's latest report, the pork barrel scam, from 2007 to 2009, involved some P6.156-billion in pork barrel monies from close to 200 lawmakers, and 82 mostly bogus NGOs.

Around 10 of these NGOs were linked to Napoles, who has denied all accusations. Napoles has so far evaded a warrant of arrest issued by a Makati court for a serious illegal detention charge.