Napoles appearance in Senate hearing won't be a 'circus' - Guingona

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Teofisto Guingona III assured on Tuesday that the appearance of businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles on next month's Senate panel hearing on the alleged pork barrel scam won't turn into a "circus."

"The way I conduct hearings, it has never turned into a circus. As long as it is under my watch , it will never be a circus," Guingona said in an interview with the media.

Guingona, who is chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that conducts the pork barrel probe, also assured that Napoles will be given a fair trial.

Napoles is scheduled to appear and testify in the hearing set on November 7 after Senate President Franklin Drilon finally approved the subpoena for the businesswoman.

The Makati Regional Trial Court, which handles the serious illegal detention case of Napoles, has also allowed the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind to appear in the Senate hearing.

"With the court's order for Janet Lim-Napoles to appear before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, we are now much closer to completing the whole story on the abuses done with the Priority Development Assistance Fund," Guingona said in a statement as he lauded the court's decision.

The senator also explained that Napoles may invoke her right against self-incrimination per question during her scheduled appearance in the Senate hearing.

"Tignan natin kung ano ang sasabihin niya pero kung mag-invoke siya, karapatan niya iyon," Guingona said. "Every time you ask a question, she can invoke her right. But it has to be something you can incriminate her."

Napoles is facing plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman after being accused of pocketing lawmakers' pork barrel funds that were allegedly diverted to bogus non-government organizations she set up.

She is now detained in a police camp in Laguna in connection with the serious illegal detention charges filed by Benhur Luy, the key whistleblower in the alleged multi-billion pork barrel scam.