Senators buck Napoles as state witness

MANILA, Philippines - Senators opposed yesterday efforts to recruit pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles as state witness, warning that she may be used by the administration to persecute its political opponents and send the wrong message that plunder pays.

Senators Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima, Joseph Victor Ejercito and Panfilo Lacson all questioned the planned move of the Department of Justice (DOJ) under Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, noting that Napoles was tagged as the most guilty in the scam and that her cases are now with the courts.

Aquino expressed alarm that since Napoles was cleared of charges related to the illegal detention of whistle-blower Benhur Luy, his previous testimonies against the businesswoman and lawmakers charged for the so-called pork barrel scam could be weakened.

“She is one of the biggest masterminds of one of the biggest scams we’ve ever seen. I hope the plunder case against her will not be weakened because of her acquittal,” Aquino said.

Aquino called on Malacañang to keep its word that there was no deal struck with Napoles or her lawyer.

Aquino said Napoles could be “used” by Malacañang to go after critics of President Duterte in Congress, while Hontiveros expressed fears that the plan to turn her into a state witness “is an attempt to turn her into a political weapon to harass members of the political opposition.”

“The Duterte government must not sacrifice the people’s pursuit for truth and justice to serve its lust for political vindictiveness,” Hontiveros said, adding such sinister move must not be allowed.

De Lima also said “it is not remote that Duterte will use Napoles to blackmail and threaten any remaining opposition in Congress.”

Ejercito and Pangilinan, along with Kabayan party-list Rep. Harry Roque, stressed only the least guilty could become a state witness so Napoles is not qualified to become one.

Pangilinan said that it was Napoles who managed to come up with a scheme and get many congressmen and senators to use their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel for her ghost projects and bogus non-government organizations, so it is mind boggling to even consider her as a state witness.

“This is not right. The mastermind will be a state witness? I think this is legally questionable,” Pangilinan said. 

Pangilinan said that Napoles would also be a tainted witness because in order to escape life imprisonment, she would say anything as a state witness.

Lacson believes turning Napoles into a state witness was a long shot considering the legal process it entails, including determining whether or not she is qualified to be one.

Lacson said Napoles is already charged before the Sandiganbayan and it is not within the authority of the prosecutors to determine if she can be a state witness.

“Remember, it will be the courts that will rule if she can be discharged as a state witness,” Lacson told reporters.

Hontiveros pointed out that turning Napoles into  state witness is akin to “glorifying a villain as a hero” and a travesty of justice since she has long been considered as the pork barrel scam mastermind.

“She is a criminal mastermind who orchestrated one of the biggest multibillion scams in recent history,” Hontiveros said. – With Marvin Sy