BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – As expected, lawmakers in the amended “Napolist” denied any dealings with Janet Lim Napoles.
Yesterday, Sen. Loren Legarda said she has never received kickbacks from her pork barrel funds.
Legarda also said she only allocated her “pork” for the construction of school buildings, financial assistance to disaster victims and farmers, scholarship programs, medical assistance, and the National Museum’s Hibla and Baybayin galleries.
“I have judiciously allocated my (Priority Development Assistance Fund) to accredited government agencies and local government units as prescribed by law,” the senator from Antique said.
She maintained she has not endorsed any non-governmental organization to benefit from her allocation.
Napoles said Catherine Mae “Maya” Santos worked as Legarda’s agent in her projects for the National Livelihood Development Corp.
Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. likewise denied she met and spoke to Napoles regarding his pork barrel.
Napoles confirmed this in her “extended” affidavit. She, however, noted that it was also Santos who communicated with her on behalf of Marcos.
According to the senator, Santos served as “consultant” of various Senate Congressional Committees and was detailed to his office from June 2011 to June 2013.
“Immediately after the SONA last July 2012, I reorganized the Senate office and adopted a system whereby all departments were required to submit an annual ‘Yearend Report’ for internal purposes. Consequently, on January 31, 2013, all departments were requested to submit their reports for the previous year,” he narrated.
Marcos said Santos failed to submit any Yearend Report, thus was terminated in March 2013.
The Pimentels, for their part, also belied Napoles’ allegations.
Napoles claimed that Jewel Lobaton Pimentel and Luis Cruz served as Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III’s “agents” while Mon Arcena dealt with her for former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr.
“Nabaliktad na ang mundo! Now Louie Cruz is my agent? Really, Napoles said this?” Pimentel III said in the micro blogging site Twitter yesterday morning.
“Did not Napoles ask Louie Cruz to arrange her Inquirer interview last year? So, Louie Cruz is not Napoles’ agent? But is instead mine? Hmmm,” he added.
The younger Pimentel said Napoles makes up stories to “escape liability as a state witness.”
Pimentel Jr., on the other hand, said he will charge those who implicate him into the controversy.
“No one, not Arcenas, or anyone else was my agent in the use or misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund. Neither have I asked for, demanded or received any bloody centavo from Napoles or Luy. Or from any of my beneficiaries,” he also said.
Neophyte senator Cynthia Villar is also clueless as to the identity of the accused businesswoman.
“My husband, Manny Villar, and I endured malicious allegations that up to now remain unproven. It pains me to see that some quarters resort to dirty tactics to pursue political ends,” the lady lawmaker said.
Villar, who was then a congresswoman, and other members of the minority block, according to Napoles, received kickbacks from a computer project in 2004.
Former congressman Carlos Padilla, in defending the group, said the project is a “fake.”
The signature that appeared on the document was forged, Padilla added.
Other senators in the Napoles’ list are Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Juan Ponce Enrile, Gregorio Honasan, Lito Lapid, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Vicente Sotto III.
Former senators Rodolfo Biazon, Robert Barbers, Loi Estrada, Robert Jaworski, Ramon Magsaysay, Tessie Aquino Oreta and Manny Villar were also in the list./PN
