BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee can compel the Justice department to release the list of other lawmakers who allegedly funneled their pork barrel funds to Janet Lim Napoles’ fake non-government organizations (NGOs).
“May compulsory power ang Blue Ribbon Committee. Pwede nilang hilingin kay (Justice) Secretary (Leila) de Lima,” said Senate President Franklin Drilon.
Meanwhile, Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, among others, backed calls to invite Napoles again to the pork barrel investigation.
Drilon, whose name was recently implicated in the controversy, said the list may only be released “along with the evidence” supporting it.
Releasing the affidavit without “substantive documentary evidence” would only “muddle the issue,” Drilon warned.
Drilon earlier said there is no truth to reports that he had dealings with Napoles.
The only organization that he allocated his Priority Development Assistance Fund, he said, was the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., to build classrooms.
“We must not allow mudslinging and smear campaigns because it will only complicate our quest for truth,” he added./PN
