Senate ‘pork’ probe resumes but no Luy, whistle-blowers

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The  Senate  blue ribbon committee on Tuesday resumed its investigation into the  P10-billion  “pork barrel” scam  but without principal witness Benhur Luy and other whistle-blowers.

Only Justice Secretary Leila de Lima was present when the   committee headed by Senator Teofisto Guingona III opened at around 9:30 a.m.

The absence  of Luy and other whistle-blowers irked Guingona.

“Madam Secretary, this is unprecedented,” he said.

“I did not issue a subpoena because  (we have an agreement that you would bring them here) and I relied that representation. I relied on that agreement,”  Guingona  said.

In her letter  to  the committee Monday,  De Lima said the whistle-blowers could not attend this Tuesday’s hearing, citing the  rules of the Office of the Ombudsman prohibiting  “publicity” when the case has been  filed in court.

But De Lima’s invocation of the Ombudsman’s rules did not sit well with the chairman of the committee.

“You invoked  the rules of the Ombudsman on that letter. In my opinion, you can’t invoke the rules of the Ombudsman  because you’re not the Ombudsman,” Guingona said.

Luy first appeared in the hearing last September 12 when  he narrated how some legislators allegedly received kickbacks  from Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind in the scam.