Napoles must be heard on gov’t fund scams – OSG

While alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles has been removed from the Department of Justice (DOJ) witness protection program, she still deserves to be heard if she has evidence against other politicians involved in government fund scams, the Office of the Solicitor General said.

In a recent television interview, Solicitor General Jose Calida said he does not question the decision of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra to remove Napoles from the provisional coverage of the Witness Protection Security and Benefit Program.

However, he believes that if Napoles has information, backed up by evidence, to share about the involvement of other politicians in the anomalies affecting the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and the Priority Development Assistant Fund (PDAF), she should be allowed to speak out.

Calida said the government should listen not only to Napoles but “anybody else who has the goods against these politicians, we should listen to them.”

He added that only the “enemies of the former President” Benigno Aquino III, such as former senators Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile, were indicted over the PDAF scam.

Calida said those who benefitted from the anomalous disbursement of millions in government funds should be made accountable.

Last May 25, the DOJ informed Napoles’ lawyers that she was removed from the program since the three divisions of the Sandiganbayan all denied her urgent motion for transfer of custody from Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City to the DOJ.

Guevarra also said that there was no longer any need to move her out of Camp Bagong Diwa, where she is detained, because there are no more reported threats to her personal security.