Enrile: Senate hearing became a ‘parody of justice’

By: Kristine Angeli Sabillo, Maila Ager - 11 years ago

Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile said the blue ribbon committee’s hearing on Thursday featuring alleged “pork barrel” scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles became a “parody of justice” because of some senators.

“I feel compelled to issue a statement on today’s Senate hearing lest my silence in the face of the most outrageous allegations will be construed against me. I support any investigation that seeks to uncover the truth about this PDAF scam,” Enrile said in a statement after Napoles testified before the Senate blue ribbon committee.

PDAF stands for Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) known as “pork barrel” funds.

During the Thursday hearing, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago urged Napoles to reveal if whether it was Enrile who was referred to as “Tanda,” one of the codenames of senators who allegedly received kickbacks from her. However, Napoles repeatedly invoked her right against self-incrimination.

Enrile, who was among those charged with plunder at the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly funnelling his PDAF to bogus foundations of Napoles, reiterated his “innocence, and that of my staff members and my office.”

And while he supports any investigation into the “pork” scam, the senator lamented how some members of the committee used the venue “to make wild-eyed charges, baseless assumptions, and false accusations,” and converted into a “parody of justice.”

“They should lead the facts to a just conclusion instead of coralling their own predilections into a pre-ordained conclusion,” Enrile said.

“I urge Mrs. Napoles to reveal the whole truth no matter who is hurt, as only the truth will set me free,” he said.