Jane Lim-Napoles: To be subpoenaed or not?. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang on Sunday said it would steer clear of the Senate caucus called to decide whether or not to subpoena businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles to its inquiry into the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said it was the senators’ call whether or not to compel Napoles to appear at the blue ribbon committee inquiry.
With Napoles expressing reservations and, at the same time, willingness to cooperate with authorities, the senators would be in the best position to decide on the matter, Valte said.
“It is a matter that is completely under their province,” she said over government-run dzRB radio.
Senate President Franklin Drilon had earlier said that the senators would meet in caucus on Monday to tackle the touchy issue of summoning Napoles to the blue ribbon committee hearing.
Napoles is accused of operating a scheme where some legislators’ pork barrel are funnelled to fake nongovernment organizations, after which the legislators and Napoles allegedly split the cash. At least five senators and over 30 House members have been implicated in the multibillion peso scam.
Congress resumes sessions Monday after a two-week recess.
After advising the Senate committee against compelling Napoles to testify, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said she was deferring to the senators’ “collective wisdom” to decide the matter. After this, Drilon said he would call a caucus on the matter.
Morales, in a Sept. 27 letter to Drilon, said she was standing by her earlier opinion that it wasn’t advisable for Napoles to appear at the Senate inquiry ahead of the hearing of the plunder complaint against her.
‘Senate is supreme’
But Morales said she recognized the Senate’s authority, and deferred to the senators to decide.
“That the Senate is supreme in its own sphere was never meant to be challenged. I thus submit to the collective wisdom of its members,” she said in a letter to Drilon.
When the blue ribbon committee resumed its inquiry in late September, committee chair Sen. Teofisto Guingona III castigated Justice Secretary Leila de Lima for not bringing in the whistle-blowers. De Lima answered that their appearance would telegraph the prosecutors’ punches in the plunder complaint against Napoles.
However, when Guingona issued a subpoena for them to appear at the next hearing, De Lima complied.
For the same hearing, Guingona also forwarded a subpoena for Napoles to Drilon for his signature, but the latter declined to sign it. He said the Ombudsman had advised him not to bring Napoles to the Senate inquiry.
Morales had asserted that the publicity that would be set off by Napoles’ testimony would affect the public interest and prejudice the safety of the witnesses and the disposition of the cases against her (Napoles).
The National Bureau of Investigation has filed the first set of complaints against Napoles, three senators and 34 others in connection with the alleged scam.
Guingona said Drilon was wrong to seek the Ombudsman’s opinion on the matter, insisting that the power of the Senate was supreme.
Originally posted: 9:55 pm | Sunday, October 13th, 2013