Guingona thumbs down postponement of Napoles' Senate appearance

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Teofisto Guingona III rejected a colleague's request to postpone the testimony of suspected pork barrel scam operator Janet Lim Napoles set on November 7, Thursday.

"The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's #PDAFProbe will push through on Nov. 7 w/ Janet Napoles & the whistleblowers," Guingona said in his Twitter account.

On Sunday, Sen. Serge Osmeña asked Guingona, the chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, to defer the scheduled appearance of Napoles in the upper chamber.

He said majority of the senators will not be able to attend the November 7 hearing.

"I am requesting Senator TG Guingona to move the Nov. 7 hearing to Nov. 18, the day that Congress resumes. I am concerned that more than half the members of the Senate will be out of town since Congress is still on break," Osmeña said.

"Senators must have the opportunity to propound questions to Mrs. Napoles. The credibility of the Senate would be enhanced by more openness and greater transparency," he added.

Napoles is facing plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman after being accused of masterminding the P10-billion peso pork barrel scam.

Former employees of Napoles have testified that the businesswoman was allegedly behind the grand scheme that involved the funneling of billions of pesos worth of lawmakers' pork barrel funds to fake non-government organizations that she supposedly set up.

About 30 individuals have been charged in connection to the controversy including lawmakers like Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Ramon Revilla Jr who allegedly received kickbacks.

Napoles is currently jailed in Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna due to the serious illegal detention charges filed against her by key whistle-blower Benhur Luy. -Louis Bacani