Guingona rejects Napoles request to postpone Senate appearance

MANILA, Philippines - (UPDATED) Businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles on Tuesday asked the Senate to reset her scheduled testimony this week in the chamber's hearing on the alleged pork barrel scam.

Napoles said she is seeking the postponement of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Nov. 7 to give herself time to hire a new lawyer after Atty. Lorna Kapunan resigned last week as lead counsel.

"Sa kasalukuyan po ay ginagawa ko ang lahat ng pamamaraan upang makakuha ng tulong at serbisyong legal para mapangalagaan ang aking mga karapatang pantao, lalo na bilang isang nasasakdal," Napoles said in her letter request.

But the businesswoman said she will comply with the order of the Senate, which has summoned her to appear and testify at the Blue Ribbon Committee's hearing.

"Wala po akong intensyon na suwayin ang pinag-uutos ng Senado na humarap, kahit na mismo sa aking personal na paniniwala ay walang mabuting maidudulot ang aking presensya ukol sa nasasabing pagdinig," said Napoles.

Blue Ribbon Committee chair Sen. Teofisto Guingona III did not approve the request of Napoles and said the scheduled hearing on Thursday will still push through.

"To afford protection of her constitutional rights, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has made the necessary arrangements with the Public Attorney’s Office to provide Janet Lim-Napoles with lawyers during the said hearing," Guingona said in his Facebook account.

Kapunan resigned as Napoles' lead counsel in all her cases due to differences in opinion with Atty. Freddie Villamor, another lawyer of the businesswoman.

Related story: Kapunan: I did not abandon Napoles

She said Napoles chose the legal strategy of Villamor, thinking that it would bring her out of jail earlier in the serious illegal detention case filed by key whistle-blower Benhur Luy.

"I have not given up on any client. But this is a situation where the client has to choose between going my way or going their way," Kapunan said in an interview on ANC last Monday, denying that she was prompted by Napoles herself to resign.

Earlier this week, Senator Serge Osmeña also asked Guingona for the postponement of the hearing on Thursday.

Osmeña said he is concerned that half of the members of the Senate will not be able to attend the hearing this week since Congress is still on a break and lawmakers may be out of town.

Napoles is the suspected operator of a multi-billion scam that diverted lawmakers' pork barrel funds to fake non-government organizations that she supposedly established.

She is facing plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman along with Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. for allegedly getting kickbacks through the racket.