Palace laments Senate failure to unearth truth

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang lamented yesterday that the Senate inquiry on the congressional pork barrel scam, in which alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles testified, yielded no substantial results that would have unearthed the truth or given more details on the issue.

“It is unfortunate that the hearing failed to satisfy our people’s thirst for truth. We are determined to pursue vigorously the prosecution and punishment of all those involved in the theft of public funds,” Secretary Herminio Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office said.

He said the Aquino administration shares the public clamor “to know the unvarnished truth,” even as it “acknowledges the constitutional rights” of persons like Napoles to invoke their right against self-incrimination.

“We appeal to our bosses, the Filipino people, to remain vigilant and not to lose focus on our ultimate desire to attain justice,” he said.

On allegations that media were part of the conspiracy to cover up the issue and divert it to the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), Coloma said the government “deplores efforts to muddle the issues on the PDAF and DAP.” PDAF refers to the Priority Development Assistance Fund, the official name of the congressional pork barrel. 

“We affirm the need for an evidence-based approach that will ascertain and validate the alleged involvement of individuals and groups in the anomaly,” he added.

Biggest denial queen

Administration lawmakers also expressed disappointment over the appearance of Napoles at the hearing, and called her the “biggest denial queen.”

“As expected, Napoles is now the biggest denial queen,” Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said. “But I doubt she will get away with it just because she denied everything and anything in the Senate hearing.”

“I think the preponderance of evidence against her and her cohorts is very strong to pin them down,” he added.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said Napoles “was not very informative so far.”

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said the proceedings were disheartening as the public was expecting new revelations that would resolve the scandal.

“It seems that she (Napoles) is implicating herself even more in the pork barrel scam in being evasive,” he said.

Castelo said Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago was able to enliven the proceedings with her questioning.

Denial expected

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said Napoles’ denial, though disappointing, was expected.

“She is saving not just herself but also her patrons, including those yet to be named, exposed and charged. The Senate Blue Ribbon committee must now exert efforts to get to the bottom of this scam beyond the blanket denial of Napoles,” he said.

Zarate, a lawyer, said Napoles’ blanket denial was a possible legal strategy on her part.

“By now, she already knew that it is the burden of the government to prove its case against her and her cabal of scammers and plunderers. But since she is under oath, if it will be proven later that she is lying after all, then she can be held liable for perjury,” he said.

Bayan Muna colleague Neri Colmenares said the Senate should cite Napoles in contempt and detain her until she reveals what she knows about the pork barrel scam.

He said the alleged scam brains showed contempt and disdain for the Senate. – With Paolo Romero, Jess Diaz