By Joyce Ilas
Solar News
Solar News
The ambivalent and evasive demeanor of PDAF scandal suspect Janet Lim-Napoles at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the pork barrel farce leads Senator Miriam Santiago to assert that there’s got to be a bigger name behind the P10 billion caper involving the Priority Development Fund.
The senators tried many tactics, but, in the end, Napoles managed to remain tight-lipped as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee probed her alleged involvement in the P10 billion pork barrel scandal.
Neither intimidation nor the threat of being charged with perjury seemed to work on Napoles.
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said that getting information from Napoles was not the purpose of the investigation, and added that Napoles seemed pre-determined not to reveal any material information anyway.
Even though Napoles dodged most of the senators’ questions, Santiago said her body language already spoke volumes, hinting further that her evasiveness may tellingly mean that she fears for her life, or was confused as to whether to stay loyal to the lawmakers with whom she allegedly had dubious PDAF dealings or to save her own neck.
Santiago inquired into Napoles’ humble beginnings in Basilan and her life before she acquired what she claims were her coal and real estate businesses.
Napoles’ reply, “I invoke my right against self-incrimination,” led Santiago to conclude that somebody bigger is behind the whole thing: “Hindi makayanan ng high school graduate yan kahit gaano siya katalinog tao (It’s a stretch to think that a high school graduate could come this far this way) … This is not a fairy tale.”
Santiago did not have to think twice to name who she thought was the mastermind behind the pork barrel scam: the so-called “Senator Tanda,” alluding to Juan Ponce Enrile, the most senior senator, “… kaya sino pa ang pangalanan mo ng ‘Tanda’ … alangan itong si Senator Trillanes dahil siya yata ang pinakabata nung panahon, kaya inaangkop ng tao sa kanyang sitwasyon … kaya kung si Enrile ang the most guilty, sabihin mo na ngayon, para malibre ka na at hindi ka niya ipapatay (So who else should we associate with the moniker ‘Tanda’? Can’t be Senator Trillanes who’s got to be the youngest senator at that time… So, if it’s Enrile who’s the most guilty in this, you might as well say so now, for your own sake and to stay alive).”
Enrile, along with Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla, are presently facing plunder charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly channeling millions of pesos from their PDAF to alleged sham beneficiary non-government organizations operated by Napoles.
Santiago and Enrile had a major falling out early this year, after it was exposed that the former Senate President gave away cash gifts to all senators except his four critics.
One of them was Santiago.
Santiago said that, because she believes Napoles does not seem to be the most guilty in the pork barrel scandal, she was strongly advising the latter to consider applying to be a state witness.
In Filipino, Santiago said: “You are protecting the person who might turn out to be the most guilty. If this reaches the court, your lawyer should ask for you to be made state witness. It means that if you tell all that you know, you won’t go to jail. It’s like you will be absolved, acquitted. You won’t have to go through the proceedings. As long as you reveal everything, you’re considered no longer at fault, found innocent.”
Santiago also urged Napoles to perpetuate her testimony or to submit a written testimony to the court. That way, she can stave off any threat to her life because, then, the implicated legislators would no longer have reason to want her dead as she would have already spilled the beans.
“These people are murderous. They’re not only homicidal, they are murderous. They are planning your murder,” Santiago told Napoles.
While it may take years before the court can rule on Napoles’ guilt, by now, another court has surely made its decision after seeing Napoles comportment before the Blue Ribbon Committee, the court of public opinion.
What the public’s ruling may be, and what it will do to the case, we just have to wait and see in the coming days.
For his part, after maintaining his silence on the pork barrel scandal for several weeks, Senate Minority Floor Leader Juan Ponce Enrile broke his reticence Thursday after his name cropped up once more in the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing.
Enrile said he felt compelled to issue a statement, lest his silence be construed as an admission of guilt.
He stated that some members of the committee used the Blue Ribbon hearing to make baseless charges and accusations, thus transforming the investigation into a parody of justice.
Enrile said senators should ferret out the truth and come up with a fair and just conclusion, instead of manipulating the facts toward a predetermined result.
Enrile maintained that he is innocent, and so are his staff and office.
He called on Napoles to reveal the whole truth no matter who may be hurt.
Meanwhile, Senator Revilla’s legal counsel Joel Bodegon said Napoles’ testimony was significant for his client as it did not show that Senator Revilla had any transactions with Napoles.
During the hearing, Napoles had denied personally knowing and transacting with Revilla, Estrada, and Enrile.
She even said that she feels sorry for the three senators who were being dragged into the pork barrel scam mess.
However, Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman TG Guingona said he believes otherwise, underscoring that Napoles’ statements provided a stark contrast between her general denials and the positive assertions of the whistle blowers that were replete with specific details.
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