Aguirre confirms Palace meeting with Medialdea, Napoles lawyer

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Tuesday confirmed that he and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea had met with the lawyer of Janet Lim Napoles in Malacañang over her temporary admission into the government's witness protection program.

Aguirre made the disclosure after Attorney Stephen David, the lawyer of the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind, told the Sandiganbayan about Napoles' inclusion in the WPP and his meeting with the Cabinet officials.

The justice secretary, nonetheless, denied that he and Medialdea gave David legal advice.

"Hindi naman legal advice yun eh. Actually he talked to ES Medialdea to appeal my opinion that we at the DOJ (Department of Justice) could not (order her transfer of detention)," Aguirre said at a news briefing in Malacanang.

"[David] would want to say that since I am under the Office of the President, as Department Secretary, he could appeal my opinion to the Executive Secretary. That's as simple as that," he added.

"[Medialdea] was asked by Attorney David if he could overrule me. He said 'he could not' because he is of the same opinion as mine," Aguirre said.

Napoles is facing a string of plunder and graft cases before the anti-graft court over allegations that her non-government organizations received millions of pesos from the Priority Development Assistance Fund entitlements of several lawmakers in exchange for ghost projects.

She is also accused of giving millions of pesos in kickbacks to the legislators with whom she conspired.

Medialdea in an earlier statement did not say whether there was a Palace meeting with David and Aguirre.

Instead, the executive secretary denied giving legal advice to Napoles' counsel.

For presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, David's failed attempt to convince Aguirre and Medialdea to place Napoles under DOJ custody was proof that Malacañang is not involved in Napoles' case.

"Obviously you just heard the Justice Secretary. Attorney David was there to appeal that (Executive) Secretary Medialdea should reverse the position of the DOJ Secretary. He did not succeed. So that's proof that Malacañang is not behind anything as far as Napoles is concerned," Roque said in the same briefing.

Roque said Medialdea does not need to consult President Rodrigo Duterte about the matter.

"What does he have to apprise the President about? He did not act on the appeal to reconsider the position of the DOJ Secretary. Should the Executive Secretary consult the President on a matter where he merely affirmed the decision of the Secretary of Justice? I don't think that was necessary," the Palace spokesperson said.

He added it is up to the DOJ to determine whether Napoles deserves full coverage under the WPP.

"The President does not micromanage. He will allow the line agencies to perform their duties according to the law. He will reserve of course exercise of supervision and control if need be but right now it's provisional coverage into the WPP," Roque said.

"It is for the purpose of examining her affidavits whether or not she should in fact be discharge from any case. So at this point the President did not do anything. He trusts that Secretary Aguirre is doing the right thing."

Aguirre said Napoles has already executed an affidavit pertaining to her knowledge "about violations of the law by some government officials."

He declined to elaborate, saying Napoles' affidavit is confidential in nature. —NB, GMA News