MANILA, Philippines—With too many supposed lists of pork barrel scam conspirators, people continue to be denied the truth and justice remains elusive, antipork activists and lawmakers said on Tuesday.
The muddling of the issue with the proliferation of the lists has benefited no one except those involved in the theft of people’s money, said Gabriela Rep. Luz Ilagan.
About 30 members of the Church-backed Abolish Pork Movement picketed the office of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima demanding that she “heed the public clamor” and release the list of lawmakers allegedly involved in the P10-billion scam, which was given to her by Janet Lim-Napoles on April 22.
In an open letter to De Lima, the group expressed concern at her refusal to release the Napoles list of lawmakers who allegedly diverted their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocations to ghost projects and received kickbacks.
“The justice department’s decision to withhold information on the Napoles affidavit sets a very bad precedent in terms of government transparency,” said the group letter which was signed by a dozen people, including Sister Mary John Mananzan, Carol Araullo of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Fr. Marlon Lacal of the Association of Major Religious Superiors, and Fr. Ben. Alforque of Church People Alliance vs Pork Barrel.
De Lima told reporters on Tuesday that she planned to submit the document to the Senate blue ribbon committee by Thursday after she was subpoenaed by the panel.
“I would advise them to exercise prudence, circumspection, and utmost responsibility in handling this matter,” she said.
De Lima called a news conference hours after she had a “tell-all” conversation with Napoles who, she said, gave her a list of lawmakers involved in the plunder of state funds. She later said she would not “sanitize” the list but that she would not release it until after it had undergone a thorough “vetting” and further investigation.
Ticket to freedom
“Those who have benefited from the scam, Aquino allies included, are practically given a ticket to freedom,” Ilagan said in a statement.
She said she suspected that a cover-up was in the works to protect the President’s friends from prosecution. “The more you hold on to the list and the longer that the list is kept secret, the higher the suspicion that the list is being sanitized,” she added.
The Scrap Pork Network, whose members helped organize a massive protest against the pork barrel system last year, said the full disclosure of all the lists must be done so that people would know the truth and that nobody should be spared in the investigation and prosecution of the case, regardless of party affiliation.
“It is a fervent hope that the President adopt the attitude of pasensyahan (you’re on your own)—tamaan ang tatamaan, makulong ang makukulong; kung dawit kayo, mananagot kayo, anuman ang partido ninyo (let those involved be charged, jail those who must be jailed; if you are involved, be answerable for your actions, regardless of your party affiliation),” it said in a statement.
Intentionally led astray
“Whether the people are intentionally led astray, the issues muddled to utter confusion or party mates extended protection, the fact remains that the people are denied the truth, and therefore, justice,” the network said.
Anakpawis Rep. Fernando Hicap said the President, by failing to direct De Lima to disclose the list, was effectively obstructing justice.
Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon also assailed the President for not making public the list that he himself said he received much earlier. “Why did his admission come days after he received the list? What happened during the length of time that he kept this fact hidden from the public?”
MATIKAS SANTOS/INQUIRER.net
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