Napoles claims she gave P5M to Drilon’s campaign, Palace wants probe of LPs linked to pork scam

Alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles claimed that she gave at least P5 million for the campaign of Senator Franklin Drilon in the 2010 elections.

Napoles made the claim in an interview over the weekend with People’s Television anchor Erwin Tulfo, parts of which aired on Monday.

She said she personally turned over the money to Drilon at a hotel.

“Kilala niya po ako at sa katunayan po, nagbigay po ako ng donation noong eleksyon na tumakbo po siya , noong 2010 election… P5 million po,” Napoles said.

“Nagpasalamat po siya dahil noon tanggapin niya iyon, may kasama pa siyang kapamilya niya eh,” she added.

Napoles said she was ready to present evidence and witnesses to prove her allegations, if needed.

She insisted that she was close friends with Drilon, refuting the former senator’s statements against her.

“Kilala niya po ako. Uma-attend po siya ng birthday ng pamilya namin. Anniversary ng nanay ko, uma-attend siya. One time po, blinow-out niya ako, kumain sa isang sikat na hotel at pinakilala niya iyong pamilya niya sa akin. Asawa niya at anak ng asawa niya sa first husband,” Napoles said.

“Ang hirap na buhay talaga. Kapag nakakulong ka, nakakalimutan ka ng tao,” she added.

Drilon in a message to reporters denied the allegations.

"We deny having received any campaign contribution from Napoles. We have submitted our Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE), w/cv are open for public scrutiny. We will not further comment on such obviously fake news intended to harass the opposition,” Drilon said.

Meanwhile, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in an interview with Radyo Pilipinas said it’s high time to investigate those Liberal Party members implicated by Napoles in the pork barrel scam.

“Ngayon po siguro pananagutan na iyang mga Janet Lim-Napoles, iyang mga dinadamay ng mga galing sa Liberal dapat iyan isiwalat na at simulan na ang proseso ng paghahain ng kaso sa kanila. Pananagutan na,” Roque said.

Roque in a text message to reporters said that the Department of Justice would handle the case, if ever complaints were filed. —NB, GMA News