No conflict of interest in assisting Napoles: PAO
MANILA - Lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) will only represent Janet Napoles in the Senate hearing on the alleged pork barrel scam and not in her cases pending in court and the Office of the Ombudsman, the agency’s head said Wednesday.
PAO Chief Persida Acosta said the set-up will continue until Napoles will be able to find private lawyers who will defend her. It was the Senate Blue Ribbon committee which requested PAO to assist Napoles to ensure that the hearing will push through on Thursday (November 7).
The s a me agency worked for the release of Napoles’ former maid, Dominga Cadelina, from prison over qualified theft charges last month as Acosta brushed off insinu- ations of conflict of interest. PAO is known for aiding indigent individuals.
“I don’t think we’re in a dilemma because Napoles was not the complainant. It was her husband Jaime Napoles and her brother Reynald Lim who filed the case,” Acosta told Sun. Star.
She quoted Section 3 of the Republic Act 9406 or the law strengthening
the PAO that it “may be called upon by proper government authorities to render such service to other persons, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations.”
Napoles has the right to refuse PAO lawyers under Senate rules but she is still required to appear because she had been subpoenaed, said Senate President Franklin Drilon.
“She can be questioned and it’s up to her to respond,” he said.
Acosta designated senior lawyers Howard Areza, Marlon Buan and Analisa Soriano to help Napoles.
Areza is the head of the PAO executive services, Soriano is the assistant head of PAO special and appealed services and Buan is the officer-in-charge of the PAO-National Capital Region. PAO is under the Department of Justice, which has been actively pursuing Napoles and some government officials and employees for allegedly implementing ghost projects sourced from the priority development assistance fund (PDAF) and revenues from the Malampaya gas project off Palawan. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)