Senate to resume Napoles hearing next year
Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles looks at the direction of the whistleblowers during the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing.FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – The Senate blue ribbon committee will resume its investigation into the “pork barrel” fund scam next year to discuss policy matters before shifting its probe to another alleged misuse of the Malampaya gas fund.
“The Napoles hearing will resume next year on some hearings on policy and then most likely we will be continuing with the Napoles into the Malampaya hearing,” Senator Teofisto Guingona III, chairman of the committee, said on Thursday.
Napoles is detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, who allegedly masterminded the “pork barrel” scam.
Guingona had earlier expressed his readiness to terminate the “pork” scam investigation, but said he had yet to consult the members of the committee.’
Asked if Napoles’ husband would still be invited in the committee’s next hearing as suggested by Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero during the last hearing, Guingona said: “We’re still consulting with other senators on that matter.”
He also declined to say if the committee would invite Napoles again on the Malampaya fund scam probe.
“We will see. I don’t want to say yes or no on that,” Guingona said.
The P900-million Malampaya fund, allotted in 2009 for farmers reeling from the devastation of powerful storms, was allegedly diverted to questionable non-governmental organizations mostly associated with Napoles.
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