Napoles keeps mum when quizzed by Santiago

MANILA, Philippines – Janet Lim-Napoles repeatedly invoked  her rights against self-incrimination when  Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago asked if she  knew  the three senators who have been dragged into the  P10 billion  “pork barrel” scam.

The three senators implicated into the scam were Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce-Enrile, Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and  Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.

During the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing Thursday, Napoles invoked  her right against self-incrimination  when  Santiago asked  if Enrile was  the one  being referred to as “tanda” in the previous hearings of the Senate committee.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. SENATE POOL FILE PHOTO

When asked again by Santiago if Estrada was the one  referred to as  the “sexy” senator, Napoles  said: “Hindi ko po alam (I don’t know).”

“Anong hindi mo alam. Alam mo e (What do you mean you don’t know? You know),” Santiago said, adding that Napoles should have just invoked her   right against self-incrimination.

So Napoles  invoked such right  again  when Santiago repeated  the  question and  to  another question if Revilla was the one being referred to as “pogi.”

“E di bilisan natin, puro ka pala I invoke my right… “  Santiago    added.

But Napoles’ invocation of such  right did not sit well with  the lady senator  when Napoles  used it again to the question  whom she had been talking to  about the plunder case  filed against her at the Office of the Ombudsman.

“I invoke my right against self-incrimination,’’ Napoles said.

“Sino lang kausap mo , I invoke my right? Aaah..”   said Santiago, who was apparently getting impatient with Napoles.

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Janet Napoles and the pork barrel scam