BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – Is someone covering up facts for businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles involving the multibillion-peso pork barrel fund scam?
“I believe a hundred percent na may pumoprotektang makapangyarihan kay Ms. Napoles,” said Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.
According to the Senate Majority Leader, Napoles would not have surrendered to President Benigno Aquino III and she would not have managed to stay at her Sta. Rosa, Laguna detention facility instead of at a regular jail if she had no backer.
Cayetano, meanwhile, said the Aquino government is not doing enough to clear up the pork barrel issue.
“Meron palaging moral courage na magturo o mag-accuse. Pero wala namang moral courage ang gobyerno na mag-clear,” he lamented.
“How hard will be for this government to say, ‘this senator or congressman does not have such allocation,’ if they have documents to prove it,” Cayetano said.
Earlier, Cayetano thanked lawyer Levi Baligod, ex-counsel of whistleblower Benhur Luy, for clearing his name in the list of lawmakers who allegedly funneled their pork barrel funds to Napoles’ bogus non-governmental organizations.
“It is consistent with what Benhur personally wrote in his files – that I have not dealt whatsoever with Ms. Napoles. And, it is also consistent with his testimony,” the Senate leader said.
Meanwhile, Malacañang yesterday urged Napoles to complete her affidavit detailing the P10-billion pork barrel scam she supposedly masterminded, before making demands and conditions such as immunity.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said it is time for Napoles to “put (her) money where (her) mouth is” as far as telling all on the scam is concerned.
As of Friday, Napoles’ lawyer Stephen David was quoted as saying the affidavit is “90 to 95 percent complete,” and could be submitted to the Department of Justice as early this Monday.
David added that once they complete the affidavit, they will review it to ensure its accuracy./PN
