Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles attends the Senate Blue Ribbon commitee hearing. RAFFY LERMA/INQUIRER
MANILA, Philippines—As the Senate continue its investigation on the P10-billion pork barrel scam with Janet Lim-Napoles in the hot seat Thursday, people don’t believe the Senate would be fair in handling the case.
“Palagay ko hindi masyadong magiging patas [ang investigation ng Senado] (I think the investigation in the Senate won’t be fair),” Hermie delos Reyes of Quezon City said when asked to comment on the ongoing Senate inquiry.
This he said as some senators were said to have been involved in the scheme.
“Parang magiging kampi-kampihan na lang yan,” Delos Reyes said.
He also believes that even as Napoles, the supposed center of the pork barrel scam herself, has been called for questioning, she will not reveal everything she knows about the alleged misuse of government funds.
“Maghahanap din ‘yan ng paraan kung paano hindi madawit yung iba. . . may mga iniingatan,” Delos Reyes added.
Lenny Jara, on the other hand, believe that since it seems that some government officials also benefited from the scam, involved personalities might settle in a deal.
“Ibig sabihin, hindi magsasalita (That means, no one would say anything),” Jara said.
“Hindi maglalabas ng ebidensya basta basta . . . [at] hindi magsasabi kung sino sino ang mga pinayaman niya (No one would come out with pieces of evidence and no one would confess who made someone rich),” she added.
Napoles will not tell the truth, Jara said.
Jorge Romulo, a cyclist, meanwhile said he really can’t tell whether the Senate would be fair in the investigation or not, noting the possibility of some sort of connivance.
“Pag hindi nila pinanigan yun, mababalewala yung ninakaw nun (If they didn’t side with her, the one they stole would be useless),” Romulo said, pertaining to Napoles.
He said Senators must not side with Napoles so that the money robbed from the people can be returned.
Romulo also believes that Napoles will not reveal everything she knows about the scam.
“Kalahati lang sasabihin. Hindi lahat (It would be full of half-truths. They won’t tell all),” he said.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee subpoenaed Napoles to take the hot seat as they continue their investigation into the pork barrel scam.
Napoles travelled from her detention cell in Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna to the Senate office in Pasay City.
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