Senate to meet on Napoles' list of 'collaborators'

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will hold a caucus next week to tackle Janet Lim-Napoles' list of other government officials supposedly involved in the pork barrel scam.

Senator Teofisto Guingona, chairman of the blue ribbon committee, said in his Twitter account that he will call the caucus on Monday.

Guingona added that the blue ribbon committee will also start the hearings on the Malampaya fund scam.

Napoles, the suspected mastermind of the pork barrel scam, made a "tell-all" affidavit during her meeting with Justice Secretary Leila De Lima at the Ospital ng Makati last month.

De Lima said Napoles wanted to turn state witness and confirmed the involvement of Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada in the diversion pork barrel funds to her alleged bogus foundations.

The businesswoman also supposedly named other senators and officials who were involved in the controversy.

Guingona had said that the blue ribbon committee will first wait for De Lima to finish evaluating Napoles' affidavit before deciding whether or not the Senate probe on the pork barrel scam will be reopened.

Napoles attended one of the Senate hearings last year though she refused to divulge her knowledge regarding the P10-billion scam.