Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines –He says, she says. With Justice Secretary Leila de Lima tight-lipped and rehabilitation czar Panfilo “Ping” Lacson giving all sorts of clues to the media, the public has begun speculating on who Janet Lim-Napoles has implicated in the pork barrel scam.
But Malacañang on Thursday said that both testimonies submitted to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Secretary Lacson will have to be scrutinized and validated.
“We will leave with Secretary Ping Lacson whatever knowledge, whatever document he knows. But at the end of the day, it will be evaluated either—whatever Secretary Lacson has and whatever was shared with Secretary Leila de Lima. They will all be evaluated,” Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a televised press briefing.
De Lima on Tuesday said the alleged pork barrel mastermind had finally spilled the beans, pinning lawmakers for the misuse of public funds.
The Justice Secretary declined to give the details of Napoles’ testimony as it will still be validated. What she did mention was the confirmation on the involvement of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla.
However, Lacson later claimed that he received an advance copy of Napoles’ testimony last month. He said at least 12 incumbent and former senators, as well as congressmen and Cabinet officials, were included in the businesswoman’s list of people involved in the scam.
Both the Department of Justice and Malacañang declined to say whether Napoles is assured of becoming a state witness.
They said it will be the Ombudsman who will decide and recommend to the Sandiganbayan on whether Napoles should be given the benefits of a state witness.
“Secretary Leila de Lima is still currently evaluating the evidence or the testimony of Ms. Janet Napoles, taking into consideration the rules on criminal procedure, taking into consideration the jurisprudence that have been laid down by the Supreme Court,” Lacierda said.
The spokesperson said he did not know what Napoles has told De Lima and if it is consistent with the information Lacson has.
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