Palace to Napoles: Name names in pork barrel scam

The Palace said Tuesday that detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles can name people involved in the P10-billion pork barrel scam even if they are allies of the Aquino administration.

"Ang konsepto po natin ay iyong lady justice na nakapiring. Wala pong sinisino, walang sinasanto. Kung ano po ang ituturo ng kaukulang ebidensiya, papanagutin po lahat ng sangkot," Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio "Sonny" Coloma Jr. said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

"That's the President's concept of a truly impartial justice system; one who is truly not guilty will certainly be adjudged innocent; one who is truly guilty will surely not be adjudged innocent," he said in a separate text message to reporters.

The Senate blue ribbon committee, which has been holding hearings on a supposed scam that diverted discretionary funds into spurious non-governmental organizations and fake projects, has summoned Napoles to its next hearing on November 7.

Some of the NGOs that the Commission on Audit found suspicious in a special audit have been linked to Napoles.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada--who,along with Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Bong Revilla Jr., has been charged with plunder over the scam--said in a privilege speech on September 25 that the investigation seemed to be focused on implicating members of the opposition.

Napoles, also charged with plunder over the scam, is being held at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta.Rosa, Laguna for a separate illegal detention case.  — Kimberly Jane Tan/JDS, GMA News