Senate Blue Ribbon to continue pork barrel scam hearings Thursday—Guingona

Senator Teofisto Guingona III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Sen. Teofisto Guingona III said on Sunday that pork barrel scam whistle-blowers led by Benhur Luy and Merlina Sunas would fill in the holes of how the money ended up in the pockets of detained businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, the senators and representatives and their senior staff members.

In an interview with DZBB’s Nimfa Rueda, Guingona, chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee, said the panel would continue with its Thursday hearings on the pork barrel scam even if the Ombudsman has taken control of the case (the Commission on Audit, Department of Justice and Ombudsman are still reviewing the evidence gathered against Napoles and other fake NGOs).

This early, Guingona said it was clear that the pork barrel would be abolished. “I think the evil outweighs the good, therefore let’s abolish the pork,” said Guingona.

Gungona said the whistleblowers would be asked to testify should they submit their affidavits, which would form the basis of tracking the money flow from the government to the fake NGOs.

After completing the “story,” Guingona said they would have no choice but to compel the implicated senators to answer these charges. “We have yet to establish that the money came back to senators, we have only established that the money went to fake NGOs,” said Guingona.