Whistle-blowers to help validate Napoles info

MANILA, Philippines - The whistle-blowers in the pork barrel scam led by Benhur Luy have agreed to cooperate with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in validating information from Janet Lim-Napoles if ever she is allowed to turn state witness.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Luy, Merlina Suñas, Arlene Baltazar and Monette Briones made the commitment after a closed-door meeting yesterday. Lawyers Raji Mendoza and Stephen Cascolan accompanied the four whistle-blowers.

“They will be utilized in the vetting and validation of information from Mrs. Napoles, and they are very willing (to cooperate) in this process,” she told reporters in an ambush interview.

The four earlier objected to the possibility of the DOJ using Napoles as state witness in the pork barrel cases through her supposed tell-all affidavit.

Mendoza, in a press conference last April 24, said Napoles could not be considered a credible witness, considering her previous blanket denials of the charges leveled against her in the scam.

He said her testimony could “directly contradict” the statements of the whistle-blowers and muddle the entire case.

But in trying to placate the whistle-blowers, De Lima explained to them the “circumstances surrounding the agreement with Janet Napoles.”

“I assured them that the information from Napoles will go through vetting process and that we will check these information with them first as part of the vetting process,” she revealed.

The DOJ chief said the validation interviews with Luy and company would start soon after Napoles completes her tell-all affidavit.

De Lima said yesterday’s meeting with Luy and the others was “cordial and friendly.”

Luy, meanwhile, declined to answer questions from reporters and only said he was “okay” when asked how he was.

Cascolan, for his part, said the whistle-blowers took the opportunity to bring up their “internal and personal concerns” before De Lima. He did not elaborate.

“They (whistle-blowers) still fully support the effort of DOJ to continue the investigation,” he said in a separate interview.

Cascolan, however, clarified that they still haven’t agreed to suggestions that Napoles be tapped as state witness.

The lawyer also denied a newspaper report that the whistle-blowers were considering leaving the witness protection program allegedly due to repeated cancellation of their meeting with the DOJ chief.

“There’s no such thing,” he told reporters when asked about the newspaper report.

De Lima also denied the report, saying her only meeting with the whistle-blowers that was cancelled was last Wednesday – and that was due to conflict in schedules.

“For their own sinister agenda, some quarters simply cannot stop fomenting intrigues,” the DOJ chief lamented.