De Lima: Napoles kakanta ng ibang tono para mailigtas ang sarili
"She will sing anything she is asked to. This is why she was never seriously considered as a state witness by the Aquino Administration," ani De Lima. Michael Varcas, file
MANILA, Philippines — Bumwelta si Sen. Leila De Lima nitong Sabado sa pagpasok ng businesswoman at tinaguriang pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles sa witness protection program (WPP) ng gobyerno.
Sinabi ni De Lima na handa aniyang kumanta si Napoles ng ibang tono upang mailigtas ang kanyang sarili at upang idiin ang ilang opsiyal ng administrasyon ni dating Pangulong Benigno Aquino III.
“But then again the next problem here is that Napoles would have to be a state witness against Duterte allies Enrile, Jinggoy, and Bong Revilla, her co-accused in the plunder cases pending trial at the Sandiganbayan. This goes against the very purpose of Aguirre and Malacañang in making Napoles a state witness, which is to implicate opposition legislators and personalities in the PDAF Scam,” banat ni De Lima.
“Soon they will be using her to testify against the opposition in exchange for keeping her loot and maintaining her daughter’s extravagant lifestyle, free of taxes,” dagdag niya.
Kinumpirma ng Department of Justice na nasa kanila si Napoles na pinaniniwalaang nasa likod ng pakikipagsabwatan sa mga mambabatas upang maibulsa ang kani-kanilang mga priority development assistance fund o mas kilala sa tawag na pork barrel.
Inihalintulad din ng senadora si Napoles sa isang “karaoke club regular” na aniya’y “tamang-tama” na testigo na gagamitin laban sa mga kritiko ng isang “baluktot” na administrasyon.
“She will sing anything she is asked to. This is why she was never seriously considered as a state witness by the Aquino Administration… It became clear to us then that just like any thief, Napoles will say anything to get herself off the hook… Napoles will parrot anything, just like the Bilibid drug inmates used by Duterte and Aguirre against me,” pagpapatuloy niya.
Pasaring pa ni De Lima na ito din ang dahilan kung bakit hiniling ni Solicitor General Jose Calida ang pagkakabasura ng kasong kidnapping laban sa umano’y pork barrel queen upang siya ay makapasok bilang state witness sa ilalim ng WPP.
Naabsuwelto nitong nakaraang taon si Napoles para sa kasong serious illegal detention na isinampa sa kaniya ng pork barrel scam whistleblower at kanya ding kaanak na si Benhur Luy.
Sinabi pa ni De Lima na gigipitin din ni Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II ang Office of the Special Prosecutor sa ilalim ng Ombudsman na ibasura ang kasong plunder laban kay Napoles at gawin siyang isang state witness.
Ngunit dagdag niya, maari naman na mapahina ng Palasyo ang desisyon ng Special Prosecutor sa kaso gayong nasa ilalim ito ng awtoridad ng pangulo.
“Secretary Aguirre’s problem here is that Napoles’ plunder case is being prosecuted by the Ombudsman, not the DOJ. Unlike the Deputy Ombudsman, the Special Prosecutor is under the disciplinary authority of the President. Malacañang can easily undermine the Special Prosecutor’s independent judgment in this case, and force him to drop Napoles as an accused,” sambit ng senadora.
Sa huli, hinimok din ni De Lima ang publiko na bantayan ang kilos ng Department of Justice sa naturang kaso.
“How the DOJ will go about performing this legal calisthenics is what we should be vigilant about,” ani pa niya.
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