Napoles, pork scam whistleblowers face off at the Senate

MANILA, Philippines - Embattled businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles faced off with pork barrel fund scam whistle-blowers and denied their accusations during the Senate hearing on Thursday.

During the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee probe, Napoles denied accusations that she created at least 20 bogus foundations that siphoned lawmakers' Priority Development Assistance Funds.

Napoles told the panel that she only set up the Magdalena Luy-Lim Foundation.

"'Yun lang po ang tinayo naming foundation para sa nanay namin," Napoles said.

Key whistleblower Benhur Luy then told committee chairman Teofisto Guingona: "Nagsisinungaling po siya."

Napoles also denied offering pork barrel kickbacks to lawmakers.

"Nakakaawa nga po ang mga senador at congressman na na-drag rito. Di po ‘yan totoo," she said.

The suspected pork barrel scam mastermind also denied that she personally knows the congressmen linked to the alleged scam and that she ordered whistle-blowers to shred documents pertinent to the racket.

She also belied the other statements of the whistle-blowers and declined to comment further.

"May pending case na po so doon (Office of the Ombudsman) nalang namin sasagutin," she said.

Invited whistleblowers as resource persons were Gertrudes Luy, Marina Sula, Merlina Suñas, Simonette Briones and Mary Arlene Baltazar.

Napoles confirmed working with Suñas, Sula and Baltazar in the JLN Corporation.

But she denied ordering Luy and Sula to establish the fake foundations.

Napoles confirmed that Luy is her relative and former employee while his mother, Gertrudes, used to take care of her children.