Napoles rising, Gigi Reyes hitting the dustbin

Janet Lim-Napoles INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Move over, Gigi Reyes, Janet Napoles is here.

Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes shouldn’t keep her hopes up. Right after news came out that Janet Lim-Napoles has spilled the beans on three senators involved in the pork barrel scam, Malacañang said it doesn’t consider Reyes a viable candidate for state witness.

“She already denied any involvement. So, how can one be a state witness when she denies?” Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing Tuesday.

“In fact, she pointed to another staff member,” he said, referring to Reyes’ affidavit, pinning the blame on Jose Antonio Evangelista.

Reyes’ sudden return to the Philippines during the Holy Week made people think that she was going to testify against her former boss Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. Instead, she defended herself and accused another Enrile aide.

“She denies involvement at all. So you cannot be a state witness,” Lacierda said.

Both Reyes and Enrile are facing plunder charges for their alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

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