Now, Lacson warns on revealing Napoles list

By: Christian V. Esguerra - 11 years ago

Former Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Former Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Sunday warned that the 24-member Senate might collapse if Janet Lim-Napoles’ affidavit purportedly naming current and former lawmakers involved in the alleged pork barrel scam was made public.

Nevertheless, Lacson said he was willing to submit to the Senate the three sets of documents earlier given to him by Napoles’ family: a draft affidavit, narration of events and a list of legislators and other government officials allegedly involved in the racket.

“In my view, the matter involves national security because the Senate might collapse if the documents are released to the public,” he said in Filipino in a radio interview over dzBB.

Based on the documents, Lacson said at least two Aquino administration officials had been linked to the alleged diversion of Priority Development Assistance Fund allocations to bogus nongovernment organizations.

“But it was not clear what their participation was,” he said, citing the lack of supporting documents on how much the officials supposedly pocketed and other details.

If required by the Senate, Lacson said he would make his copies of Napoles’ documents available. But citing “national security implications,” he said he would request that they be revealed in an executive session.

“You can just imagine that if this list is made public and public trust in the Senate is eroded further, wouldn’t it have a national security implication?”

Vast coverage

“The narration started in 2000, so you can just imagine the span … The coverage was very vast and the period was very long,” said Lacson, who was named by President Aquino last December as presidential assistant for the reconstruction of typhoon-devastated Eastern Visayas.

Lacson said that while he was willing to appear before the Senate, the “best person” to summon was still Napoles.

“Why invite some other people and not the source of all the documents and information?” he said. If the Senate so desires, the hearing could even be held at Ospital ng Makati, where Napoles is confined, he said.

The Senate blue ribbon committee is set to hold a caucus Monday on Napoles’ affidavit, which Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has so far refused to make public.

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said he would submit to the committee Monday a letter asking that it subpoena documents that would support the allegations contained on the Napoles list.

“The problem with the Napoles list is it will not really tell you much,” he said over dzBB, insisting that “all documents” pertaining to the pork barrel scam should be released.

Asked whether the committee headed by Sen. Teofisto Guingona III would likely decide in favor of getting the list, he said: “I don’t think there’s any other choice. It’s just a matter of time.”

Gag order

Cayetano, who was confident that he was not mentioned on the list, warned against Napoles’ revelations, describing her as “very intelligent and very manipulative.”

“Meaning, she knows how to cook up schemes and scams,” he said. “So there’s a big possibility… that she’s just using this to muddle the issue against her.”

Lawyer Romulo Macalintal in a statement on Sunday raised the possibility that the President would invoke executive privilege and not allow De Lima to disclose the contents of the Napoles list to the committee.

“If the President or the executive secretary invokes the privilege and states the reasons therefor and why such privilege must be respected, then the Senate cannot compel De Lima to appear in its hearing to disclose the contents of the alleged Napoles list,” Macalintal said.

The lawyer cited the Supreme Court’s decision regarding Executive Order No. 464 in April 2006, in which the tribunal concluded that while Congress has a right to information in aid of legislation, Malacañang may withhold such information “on the ground that it is privileged.”

EO 464, issued by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in September 2005, prevented executive officials from appearing in congressional committee hearings investigating alleged scandals against her administration, among them the “Hello, Garci,” “NBN-ZTE” and fertilizer fund scams.—With a report from Jerome Aning

Originally posted: 4:52 pm | Sunday, May 11th, 2014