MANILA, Philippines - Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Thursday warned businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles that she may be ordered assassinated as the lawmaker tried to convince her to reveal the truth behind the pork barrel scam.
During the sixth hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Santiago advised Napoles to divulge her knowledge now on the multi-billion peso racket before the officials embroiled into the controversy have her killed.
"This is a friendly tip from a lawyer," Santiago told Napoles. "Tell the truth before the senators affected will have you assassinated."
The feisty senator asked Napoles to confirm if Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. are the persons in the alleged scam referred to as "Tanda," "Sexy," and "Pogi."
But Napoles only invoked her right against self-incrimination.
Santiago fired several questions to Napoles, but the suspected pork barrel scam operator either denied having knowledge or repeatedly invoked her right against self-incrimination.
Napoles and the three senators are facing plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for pocketing lawmakers' pork barrel funds that were supposedly routed to the fake organizations she allegedly set up.