Kiko Pangilinan hits Duterte admin’s plan to make Napoles state witness

Liberal Party president and Senator Francis Pangilinan on Friday slammed the Duterte administration for considering alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles to become a state witness in the cases in connection with the multi-billion-peso racket.

"Paano nangyari na yung pinakamalaki ang nakulimbat sa pork barrel na mas malaki pa sa bawat politico – dahil sa lahat nung congressman at senador na kanyang kasabwat ay may hati siya — ay gagawing state witness?" said Pangilinan in a statement.

"Napoles will say anything just to save her skin," Pangilinan added.

The senator is hoping that the Higher Court will not allow this to happen.

"Naniniwala tayo na hindi papayag ang korte na gawin siyang state witness dahil magiging katawa-tawa ang ating sistema ng katarungan kapag yung pinakamalaking nambulsa ng pondo ng gobyerno, yung nakipaghati sa lahat ng mga akusado ay siya pa ang mapapawalang-sala," Pangilinan said.

"Base sa ebidensya at testigo, may kickback si Napoles sa bawat politiko kaya kung isama lahat ng nabulsa niya, di hamak na mas malaki ang nakuha niya sa bawat politiko," he added.

"Mastermind ang tawag dun at hindi dapat pumayag ang korte na maabswelto siya," Pangilinan said.

On Thursday, Justice chief Vitaliano Aguirre II met with Napoles' camp to explore the possibility of turning her into a state witness.

Aguirre, however, assured the public that the Department of Justice would conduct impartial probe on the multi-billion peso pork barrel scam.

The possibility of Napoles turning into state witness came after the Court of Appeals (CA) acquitted her in the serious illegal detention case lodged by whistleblower Benhur Luy.

The camp of Napoles said she is open to turn state witness if the government would ask her to testify against lawmakers and other government officials accused in connection with the scam.

She has since asked that she be transferred to a supposedly safer detention facility citing death threats following her acquittal by the appellate court. —NB, GMA News