Palace on Napoles list: Any Tom, Dick and Harry can make accusations
MATIKAS SANTOS/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Wednesday deferred passing judgement anew on the released list of lawmakers and government officials being linked to the pork barrel scam.
“It’s easy to make an accusation but the role of government…whether the person being accused is friend or foe, the DOJ must thoroughly evaluate the accusation,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told Palace reporters.
“Otherwise, any Tom, Dick and Harry can just point an accusation against an individual and immediately people will think he is guilty,” he added.
The statement came after Secretary Panfilo “Ping” Lacson released to media his supposed copy of Janet Lim-Napoles’ list of lawmakers allegedly involved in the misuse of public funds.
“It’s easy to accuse. It’s easy to point a finger,” Lacierda said after pointing out that “accusations are not proof.”
Lacson’s revelations shook Senate and prompted his former colleagues to release statements denying the claims.
“But how does one answer allegations in an affidavit which is unsigned, which has not been sworn to? We have a process that requires an investigation,” the Presidential Spokesperson said.
However, Lacierda said that Malacañang will “make no judgement on Secretary Lacson.”
“He has a copy of the list,” Lacierda said matter-of-factly. “All I am saying, at the end of the day, the DOJ (Department of Justice) will have to evaluate whichever affidavit is going to be signed by Mrs. Napoles, whichever list is going to be submitted by Mrs. Napoles.”
President Benigno Aquino III earlier said he already saw two versions of Napoles’ list of pork barrel scam players. However, some of the names did not match in the two lists.
The first list was the one given by Napoles to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima after their “tell-all” meeting and the second one was from Lacson.
Lacson claimed that he received the draft affidavit from Napoles’ husband Jaime, months before the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind met with De Lima.
Whistleblower Sandra Cam also came out with her own copy, which she said she received from a source.
On Wednesday, however, De Lima clarified that there is already an initial affidavit, signed and notarized by Napoles and submitted to her the day before.
“But the same covers only the lawmakers (three senators and five former congressmen) in the first batch of PDAF cases already filed, and the Malampaya Fund. We’re awaiting the completion of the more extended affidavit (from Napoles) which expectedly covers the entire list,” she said.
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