Why isn’t gov’t telling all? Cayetano wants COA, DBM records subpoenaed too

By: Matikas Santos - 11 years ago

Senate Majority Floor Leader Alan Cayetano INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The government has been urged to release all documents to finally get to the bottom of the alleged Napoles list that implicates all those who benefited from the pork barrel scam, Senate Majority Floor Leader Alan Cayetano asked Monday.

“Why not subpoena the records of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Commission On Audit (COA) to find out once and for all who are the clients of Napoles?” Cayetano said in a press conference after Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Teofisto Guingona III announced that he has ordered Justice Secretary Leila De Lima to submit the alleged list.

De Lima, hours after the Senate panel’s decision to subpoena her and the list, told reports she would bow to the chamber’s order.

“Why isn’t government telling all? It holds all the documents, Special Allotment Release Orders (SAROs), request of senators and congressmen, and audit reports,” he said.

Cayetano said that the release of the list will only satisfy the curiosity of the public but they will not be able to know which to believe and which not to believe because they will not be able to verify it.

“Government should be proactive, and not reactive to just what the people want,” Cayetano said.

“I urge the president to order the DBM, DA, DAR, and to ask COA, that all regular audits with supporting documents, SAROs, and requests of lawmakers to be released so once and for all we will find out who are really on the Napoles list and who are being used to muddle the issue,” he said.