Lacson: Number of pork-tainted senators could form quorum

By: Maila Ager - 11 years ago

Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The number of senators allegedly involved in the “pork barrel” scam was enough to constitute a quorum in the Senate, former senator and now rehabilitation czar Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said on Wednesday.

But Lacson, citing documents handed to him by Janet Lim-Napoles’ husband, Jimmy, said the number of senators might not reach 19 as reported by some media.

“Parang walang 19 pero may quorum. Maraming pangalan dun hindi lang sa Senate pati sa House, may mga pangalan din na hindi ko inakala na makasama doon pero nakasama doon,” he said in a radio interview.

(I think it did not reach 19 but there’s a quorum. There are many names not only from the Senate but also from the House that I did not expect to be included [in the list] but they were there.)

Lacson met with Napoles’ husband and two children in his office sometime on March 24 or 25 this year allegedly upon the request of the alleged pork scam mastermind herself through an emissary.

He said Napoles wanted to meet with him to “tell all” her knowledge about the pork scam.

Asked about information that even Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s husband had also allegedly received P2.5 million after she allocated P10 million to one of Napoles’ foundations, Lacson said there was no such thing in the documents given to him but said he also received the same information.

“Sa dokumentong hawak ko ngayon, wala yung ganun. Pero ang pagkakaalam ko kasi nakarating na rin sa akin yung information, ang pagkakaalam ko kasama ito sa record na na-forward ng NBI at DOJ sa Ombudsman. Nakapaloob dun at mukhang dun po ata sa laptop sa financial transaction record ni Benhur Luy,” said the former senator.

(In the documents that are in my possession, there’s no such thing. But I have also received that information. What I know is that it was part of the records forwarded to the NBI and DOJ to the Ombudsman. It was also contained and I think it’s in the laptop, financial transaction record of Benhur Luy)

“Hindi ko nakita yung dokumento na yun, mahirap mag-comment pero I share the information na meron ngang ganun sa financial transaction record,” Lacson added.

(I did not see that documents, it’s difficult to comment but I share the information that there was such a thing in the financial transaction record.)