Napoles lawyer denies 'red book' exists
MANILA, Philippines — The camp of businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles finds speculations of a so-called "red book" containing records of the illegal pork barrel transactions with lawmakers "funny."
"Iyon yung nakakatawa, wala kaming ganoong red book. Walang gano'n," lawyer Bruce Rivera said in a dzMM interview on Tuesday.
Rivera denied that documents that may possibly implicate senators and congressmen tagged in Napoles' affidavit is compiled in a single notebook, as alleged by initial plunder complainant lawyer Levito Baligod.
Baligod is the former lawyer of pork barrel scam whistle-blower Benhuy Luy.
Rivera said that what Napoles has are loose vouchers, proofs of financial transactions and checks.
Her camp can also produce bank transactions and public records when ordered by the court through a subpoena, he added.
"Mga papel kasi 'yun na [compressed], mga files 'yon, hindi nga 'yon naka-notebook kasi hindi siya mahilig magdala ng notebook," Rivera said, denying reports of a record book, which is supposedly the "key" to determine whether the alleged scam mastermind is telling the truth.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to obtain the documents from Napoles' camp that would back up the businesswoman's allegations against more than 100 political personalities.
Rivera admitted, however, that Napoles is not prepared to turn over the papers to authorities.
"Ang usapan kasi dati ibibigay 'yung testimony ni Mrs. Napoles. 'Yung ebidensiya kasi, ang plano n'ya doon na lang pagdating sa korte," Rivera said.
"Pero nakiusap po si Secretary De Lima at 'yung NBI ... na kailangan po 'yun for the vetting process," he added.
Napoles listed 18 senators involved in the Priority Development Assistance Funds scam, two senators who received cash for their campaigns, 100 congressmen, 14 employees of government agencies including officials and 49 so-called agents including relatives of the lawmakers.
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