House urged to compel DOJ chief to release Napoles’ list

Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco wants the House of Representatives to compel Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to release the list of the government’s pork barrel conspirators drawn up by Janet Napoles, saying the list’s integrity is eroded the longer it is kept under wraps.

Tiangco is the secretary general of the United Nationalist Alliance, whose prominent members Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile have been ordered charged with plunder for allegedly being key players in the misuse and pocketing of pork barrel allocations.  (Another senator, Ramon Revilla Jr., a member of the former ruling party, Lakas, has also been charged with plunder for the pork barrel scam.)

Tiangco filed a resolution on Tuesday, asking the House to investigate Napoles’ affidavit and list of conspirators and to direct the Department of Justice to make this public.

His resolution comes amid concerns that the list could be sanitized to protect the allies of the Aquino administration.

Napoles has been tagged a key player in the pork barrel controversy for allegedly managing the network of bogus non-government organizations that were used to funnel pork barrel funds to the pockets of the lawmakers and their cohorts.

Recently, she indicated to De Lima that she was willing to talk and executed an affidavit and drew up a list of the government officials with whom she had transacted. De Lima has since kept the list secret, saying the allegations must be verified first.

Tiangco said the disclosure of the Napoles’ statements would protect innocent lawmakers.

“There is a compelling need for the House of Representatives to protect the integrity of every member by conducting an investigation and directing the Justice Secretary to disclose the affidavit of Mrs. Napoles containing the names of lawmakers and government officials identified by Mrs. Napoles in her sworn statement,” he said.

By withholding the information, the DOJ has been holding the legislature “politically hostage” while rendering the administration “somewhat impotent,” he added.

He said that if the Aquino administration was serious in ridding the government of crooks, it should not hesitate to go after its own allies who have been implicated in the controversy.

“Malacañang likewise needs to act on it and require Secretary De Lima to release the list for the sake of transparency and accountability,” he said.

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