Napoles to ‘tell all’ — Aguirre
Pork barrel scam suspect Janet Napoles is ready to “tell all” about the pork barrel scam, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Tuesday in defense of her provisional admission to the Witness Protection Program (WPP). Aguirre said he met with Napoles two months ago when she offered to make a tell-all testimony about the alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). “Nagharap kami. Sinabi niya sa akin, I’m going to tell all, lahat ng kinakasangkutan sa PDAF scam na ’to. Sasabihin ko lahat’ yan [We had a face-toface and she told me, I’m going to tell all, all those involved in the PDAF scam. I will tell everything],” he said during a Palace news conference.
But if Napoles reneges on her offer to testify, Aguirre made clear that her admission to the WPP would be revoked.
Aguirre said the relatives and lawyer of Napoles were the first to approach the DOJ about her willingness to tell everything she knows about the alleged fund misuse.
“Janet Napoles is now ready to tell all, tell everything – what she knows about the PDAF scam,” he said. “Initially, (she) said
(she’s) going to execute an affidavit and other affidavits later so we accepted it, and she requested that (she) be put in provisional coverage of WPP, we agreed to it,” he added.
Aguirre agreed that Napoles should be allowed to speak about the pork barrel scam to finally attain justice on the corruption issue.
“I believe justice will be done if Janet Napoles will be allowed to speak and tell the truth about this,” he said.
Meantime, Aguirre also confirmed that he and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea met with Napoles’ lawyer, Stephen David, in Malacañang on the proposed jail transfer of Napoles two or three weeks ago.
But the DOJ chief denied any irregularity in the Palace meeting, saying Napoles’ lawyer merely sought an “opinion,” not legal advice about the jail transfer.
“I said to the lawyer, it is your duty to get Janet Napoles out of Taguig jail. You should file appropriate motion before the division of the Sandiganbayan,” Aguirre said, recalling his conversation with David.
Aguirre said David went to the Palace to appeal to Medialdea to reverse his opinion on the jail transfer but the executive secretary shared the same view.
David had earlier admitted he was advised by the Palace to file the motion seeking the transfer of Napoles from Camp BagongDiwa to the DOJ instead of rushing the relocation.
Meanwhile, one of those implicated in the pork barrel scam, former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.,favors the move to provisionally accept Napoles into the WPP.
In a conversation with reporters Tuesday afternoon, Revilla said he has long been in favor of Napoles testifying so all the truth would come out and he would finally be released from jail.
“Wala naman akong nakikitang problema doon, baka nga makatulong pa sa kaso ko yun. Baka nga ma-clear pa niya ako, kaya mas maganda kungsiya umupo, (I don’t see any problem with that, it might even help with my case. She might be able to clear me, so it would be better if she testifies),” he said.
Revilla maintained that he does not know Napoles personally, nor has he ever seen whistleblower BenhurLuy. He added that nobody could prove that illegally obtained funds ever reached his bank accounts.
Revilla lamented the fact that he is the only one left in detention, referring to former Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada, who were also detained in connection with the PDAF scam but have gained temporary liberty on different reasons.
“Unfair naman ata ‘yun.Tatlo kaming pin-in down na senador, pero ako nalang naiwan. (I think it’s unfair. The three of us were pinned down, but I’m the only one left in detention),” he lamented.
Revilla is facing one plunder charge and 16 counts of graft because of the misuse of his PDAF, which he reportedly endorsed to bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) owned by Napoles allegedly in exchange for kickbacks. (With a report from Czarina Nicole O. Ong)