De Lima agrees to turn over the 'Napoles list'

MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has agreed to submit the affidavit of Janet Lim Napoles containing names of those purportedly involved in the "pork barrel" scam to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

De Lima, who has previously rejected calls for the disclosure of the list, said in reports Monday that she has to comply with the Senate subpoena.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Senator  Teofisto Guingona III ordered De Lima to submit certified true copies of the sworn testimony of the alleged scam mastermind. Napoles submitted the statement to De Lima on April 21, stirring speculations that allies of the Aquino administration were tagged in the scam.

"By authority of Section 17, Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation of the Senate, Republic of the Philippines, you are hereby commanded and required to submit on or before Thursday, May 15, 2014 to the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon)," Guingona told De Lima in the subpoena.

"Fail not under penalty of law," the subpoena stated.

Guingona said former Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson has also agreed to submit the list given to him by Napoles' camp before it approached De Lima.

Lacson had said that the list implicates more senators in the embezzlement, but said that allegations have to be backed by further evidence. He also warned that disclosure of the list may threaten "national security."

Read: Ping ready to disclose list but warns of Senate collapse

After taking Napoles' testimony last April, De Lima reportedly consulted with President Benigno Aquino III in an unscheduled meeting.

The justice secretary told the media that Napoles revealed a "lot of details" about the multi-billion peso scheme and tagged Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. who are now facing charges of plunder.