'Napoles likes movie stars' -Tuason

MANILA, Philippines - The alleged "pork barrel" scam queen Janet Lim Napoles combined does not only like having parties, she also has a fascination with movie stars, her former friend and alleged scam agent Ruby Tuason revealed Thursday.

"[Si] Mrs. Napoles mahilig sa mga artista," Tuason said during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the pork barrel fund scandal.

"She loves holding her parties in Heritage Park," she also said.

Tuason recalled how Napoles hired a catering service in her mother's mausoleum at the Heritage Park in Manila during actor Rudy Fernandez's burial ceremony in June 2008.

Read: Blow-by-blow account of the Ruby Tuason at the Senate 'pork' probe

The burial site of Napoles' mother is right across Fernandez's, Tuason said.

"Nagpa-catering pa siya doon para doon dadaan mga artista, papakainin niya. Via Mare pa," Tuason added, referring to a popular restaurant.

The new witness on the scam also confirmed that Senator Jinggoy Estrada first met Napoles in person at Fernandez's wake.

Tuason claimed that it was her who introduced Estrada to Napoles, not actress Lorna Tolentino as claimed by the senator.

"It is possible that you introduced the person twice because the person doing the introduction is not aware that you are being introduced. So, as far I know, I introduced him to Mrs. Napoles because Mrs. Napoles mahilig sa mga artista," Tuason said.

Estrada is a also former action star, just like his father, former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

"After (2008), we had several transactions, and finally I was able to introduce him. It's been coming out in the papers and he's been saying that I did not introduce him to Mrs Napoles. But I just want to correct it," Tuason added.

She said that she attended Fernandez's services because she knew the late actor. She also believes that Estrada and Napoles became good acquaintances in the same event.

"A few days after that, Jinggoy called me up to ask for the number of Mrs Napoles. I didn't ask why, so anyway I just gave it, I had no reason not to. So before I knew it, he was not anymore doing any business with me. Nag-direkta (na)," Tuason said.

The provisionary state witness said that prior to that meeting, she was acting as a "go-between" for Napoles and Estrada, admitting that she personally delivered his kickbacks from ghost projects funded by his Priority Development Assistance Funds at the Senate compound.