De Lima, Napoles miss Senate deadline for affidavit
MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Leila de Lima failed to submit the narrative of detained businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles' affidavit to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the Thursday deadline.
De Lima said in a radio interview that Napoles needs more time to complete the affidavit on the Priority Development Assistance Funds scam under the Senate panel subpoena.
Napoles' camp announced that the alleged "pork barrel" scam mastermind has been suffering from uterine bleeding, finding it difficult to complete the promised testimony.
De Lima said that the justice department will again ask the Senate committee to extend the deadline for the document until Monday, May 26.
On May 15, De Lima asked Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Sen. Teofisto "TG" Guingona III to allow the department another week to submit Napoles' statement and the list of names of alleged scam operators.
Guingona granted the deadline for the statement, but demanded that the supposedly partial list be submitted.
Napoles' lawyer, Bruce Rivera, earlier said that three more senators will likely be tagged by Napoles in the second affidavit.
The new names will be among a hundred lawmakers, Cabinet officials and agents who took part in the the embezzlement of billions in government funds.
- Latest
- Trending
