MANILA, Philippines — Accused mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles apparently found something funny in the testimony of whistleblower Merlina Suñas during her bail hearing on her plunder case over the pork barel scam.
Garbed in her usual scratchy jacket and sneakers, a vibrant, made-up Napoles was seen giggling, laughing, clapping her hands, and making faces Friday as her former employee testified on the transactions of Napoles’ corporation with Senator Juan Ponce Enrile in implementing ghost projects for fake beneficiaries only to get kickbacks from Enrile’s Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF).
Suñas said Napoles ordered her employees, security guards and househelp come up with a list of ghost beneficiaries from telephone directories and newspapers.
Napoles, who is detained at the Camp Bagong Diwa female dormitory, stuck out her tongue when Suñas failed to remember all the names of the househelp who allegedly fabricated names of beneficiaries.
When Suñas said some of the names for beneficiaries were lifted from the bar examiners in the newspaper around 2007 and 2008, Napoles made a face and giggled.
When Suñas said a certain househelp named “Marie” came up with the idea of getting bar examiners’ names for beneficiaries, Napoles scrunched up her face as if she was puzzled.
Suñas could not also answer Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje Tang’s question if she knows the educational attainment of “Marie,” causing Napoles to stomp her feet and clap her hands as if victorious.
Suñas testified that Napoles ordered them to fabricate signatures of beneficiaries in different strokes, to which Napoles pointed to herself muttering “Ako? (Me?)”
The whistleblower also said she withdrew millions of senators’ PDAF from the bank accounts of Napoles-controlled NGOs. Upon hearing this, Napoles flattened out her palm in front of her as if asking for the money.
Suñas seemed to be blaming all her actions to her former boss, causing Associate Justice Samuel Martires to comment that she seemed “not to use her own head” while she was under Napoles’ employ.
“So while you were employed by Napoles, you didn’t use your head? Lagi ka lang inuutusan eh (You were always following orders),” Martires said.
“Sa opisina ni Napoles, hindi ka pwedeng gumawa ng aksyon ‘pag hindi niya sinabi. Lahat ng gawa namin, utos ni Napoles (In Napoles’ office, we weren’t allowed to act without her blessing. Everything we do was upon her orders),” Suñas answered.
Napoles, who refused to be interviewed after the hearing, only managed to say “sinungaling” (liar), referring to Suñas.
Napoles’ lawyer Stephen David said his client was laughing because of Suñas’ supposed lies.
“Kasi nga, ‘yung mga kasinungalingan niya, kaya niyang butasin… Hindi siya makapaniwalang kaya makapagsinungaling ang isang tao (Napoles can find loopholes in Suñas’ testimony. She also could not believe a person could easily make up lies),” David said.
David also noted Martires’ observation that Suñas seemed not to use her own mind when she simply followed Napoles’ instructions.
“Napakasakit ‘yung tanong ni Justice Martires… Ni minsan hindi mo ginamit ang utak mo? Napakademeaning (Justice Martires’ question hit the spot. You mean to say Suñas did not even use her own head? It’s so demeaning),” David said.
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