MANILA, Philippines - Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile on Friday denied personally knowing Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the P10 billion pork barrel scam.
Enrile said at a televised press briefing that he has not yet met Napoles, who has become a fugitive after an arrest warrant against her was issued in connection to the illegal detention charges filed by pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy.
"I don't think I ever met her. I do not know her. I saw her face on the television and in print for the first time when this story broke out," Enrile said.
The former Senate president said he is ready to be investigated and face the consequences if proven of pocketing public funds.
"I am ready to be investigated and prosecuted if anyone can prove that I financially benefited from the unscrupulous and illegal schemes of criminal syndicates, whether masterminded by Ms. Janet Lim Napoles or her ilk and cohorts in and out of government," he said.
Enrile and other senators have been linked to the pork barrel scam, which allegedly used some legislators' priority development assistance funds (PDAF) to fund ghost projects of bogus non-government organizations (NGOs).
The Commission on Audit (COA) revealed last week the full findings of its special report on PDAF irregularities, which said that around 200 lawmakers gave over P6 billion of pork barrel to 82 questionable NGOs
Enrile said he did not personally choose the alleged NGO-beneficiaries being attributed to him since he is not aware of such organizations.
"I was not aware that we have to use NGOs in implementing the [projects]. My understanding is that my duty as a legislator is to request for funding for those who request me to grant them this part of the program of the government," Enrile said.
"I do not know those NGOs. I do not know that they existed," he added.
The 89-year-old senator further claimed that he never dealt directly with any contractor or any supplier in his career as a politician.