Escudero: Probe to be set if Napoles is used only vs opposition

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

Senator Francis Escudero said he would initiate a new Senate probe on the so-called “pork barrel” scam only if detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles would be used by the Duterte administration to harass the opposition.

“Gaya sa nagdaang administrasyon, nakatutok lamang sa isang grupo, o sektor o partido at hindi dun sa kabila o kaalyado nila. Sana ito ay hindi maging ganun, kakampi man o kalaban sana tingnan,” Escudero said during the regular Kapihan sa Senado on Thursday.

“Kung mangyayari yun, dun siguro namin ikokonsidera ang maghain ng isang resolution para mabuksan ito muli,” he said.

READ: Lacson: Napoles can implicate more pork solons

The senator made the statement when sought for comment on suspicions that Napoles might be used to harass the opposition by implicating its members into the controversy.

Escudero noted that even before, he wanted the Senate to continue its investigation on the issue since the Commission of Audit’s (CoA) probe did not cover the entire P14 billion alleged misused of lawmakers’ “pork barrel” funds.

“Hiniling ko na magpatuloy yun noon pero hindi nagpatuloy dahil na nagsampa na ng mga kaso laban sa ilang mga incumbent, sa mga senador at doon na natigil ang kaso…” he said.

Among those charged in connection with the pork barrel scam, aside from Napoles, were former Senators Juan Ponce-Enrile, Jose “Jiggoy” Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. Enrile had been allowed to post bail by the court while Estrada and Revilla have been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center.

Of the P14 billion “pork,” Escudero pointed out that only P6 billion were supposedly coursed through bogus non-government organizations of Napoles, who allegedly masterminded the pork scam while the COA probe had focused only on the misuse of P2 billion pork.

“Uulitin ko, hindi ko tutulan ang imbestigasyon ng DOJ (Department of Justice) dahil nga humigit kumulang P14 billion ang PDAF scam, P6 billion ang dumaan kay Napoles. Kakalimutan na lang ba natin yung P6 billion o P8 billion…?” the senator asked.

“Pangalawa, sa dinami-dami ng pangalang binanggit ni Ginang Napoles, anong nangyari sa mga kasong yun. Nasampahan ba o hindi? Dapat sana maresolbahan din yung mga kasong yun hindi lamang para mapanagot ang may sala, pero para malinis din ang pangalan ng mga nagkataong binanggit lamang at nadawit ang pangalan na wala namang ginawang mali o anomalya,” he added. CBB