Chiz: Senate must examine list of legislators implicated in ‘pork’ scam

MANILA, Philippines - The Senate should examine the supposed list of legislators implicated by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles in the pork barrel scam, Sen. Francis Escudero said yesterday.

Escudero said he was still unaware of what exactly would be discussed during the caucus of senators tomorrow although Senate Blue Ribbon committee chairman Teofisto Guingona III has stated that this would be about the “Napoles list.”

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who met with Napoles last April, has refused to reveal the details of the list, which reportedly contains over a hundred former and incumbent lawmakers who allegedly transacted with Napoles over the years.

Suggestions have been made by several senators for the blue ribbon panel to compel De Lima to release the list in the spirit of transparency.

Escudero said he does not know what exactly would be demanded by the Senate because there are reportedly various versions of the list.

Reports said that former senator Panfilo Lacson and Sandra Cam also have in their possession a list of lawmakers involved in the pork barrel scam.

Escudero warned that suspicions of the list being sanitized by the administration could arise if the list in the possession of De Lima does not match the ones held by Lacson and Cam.

The senator said he also heard about the existence of a video of Napoles giving her statement to De Lima.