Villar, Pimentel to sue Napoles

MANILA, Philippines - Senators Cynthia Villar and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel  are mulling the filing of appropriate charges against businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles for destroying their reputations by including their names on the pork barrel scam list.

Villar and Pimentel were displeased with the claims of Napoles in her two affidavits, where she identified 20 senators (including Villar and Pimentel) as her conduits in siphoning money from the lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Villar said she was surprised that she and her husband were included by Napoles in her affidavits. She said  her lawyers are now studying the possibility of filing charges against Napoles.

Villar said she had no idea that Napoles was involved in the move of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to allocate 20 computers each for the so-called minority bloc at the House of Representatives.  

Villar said she wanted to simply procure new computers to avoid any controversy. â€œI am listed as one of the recipients of the computers allocated for the minority bloc from the DOTC.  But that’s not PDAF and just 20 computer units. How much would that cost?” she said, adding that she would have not accepted the units had she known it came from Napoles.

Villar also defended her husband, Manny, against claims that Napoles contributed to his campaign kitty during the 2010 presidential elections. 

Villar, whose net worth reaches more than P1 billion in 2013, also noted that Manny met many people in 2010 and that he has not accepted any campaign contributions from persons whom he did not know.  

She added that the election contributors for her husband, now chairman of the Vistaland and Lifescapes Inc., has been listed in the expenditures submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“Do you think Sen. Villar needs (campaign contributions)?,” she asked, adding that they would not need financial help from Napoles since they have enough funds. “We have our savings, we have a company, we have dividends and we are entitled to that. If we cannot afford to run for candidacy, we will not be running for the elections,” Villar said.

For his part, Pimentel said he cannot allow Napoles to perpetuate “a grand deception” wherein she linked the senator as among those whom she dealt with regarding the pork barrel fund misuse.

Pimentel, meanwhile, said he is meeting with his lawyers to determine if they can file perjury and libel charges against Napoles and the other people who they would deem as responsible for “damaging my reputation.”

“My lawyers are studying who these people will be…Some media personality might also be included,” Pimentel said, denying claims that he was involved in the pork barrel fund misuse.

He also denied that his father, former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., was involved in the scam.

Pimentel also vowed to campaign against Napoles in her bid to become a state witness.

“I will voice my opinion and tell the secretary of justice and even the Ombudsman that as far as I’m concerned her entries are lies. I have personal knowledge of her lies so maybe they should take this into account because one of the requirements for being a state witness is thou shall not lie,” Pimentel said.

He said Napoles has to pay for plundering the people’s money and duping the affected beneficiaries of the PDAF projects of the lawmakers.