No involvement in ‘pork’ scam, Chiz maintains

Senator Francis Escudero on Tuesday maintained that he hasn’t transacted with any of alleged pork barrel scam brains Janet Lim-Napoles’ bogus non-government organizations.
 

“Wala akong involvement. Sinabi na yan ng whistleblowers, di lang ni Benhur [Luy] pero pati ng iba pa, sa COA [Commission on Audit] report sinabi rin. Wala akong inallocate kahit piso diyan sa mga NGO ni Napoles. Maliwanag na tila pambasag at panggulo lang ang ginagawang ito nila Napoles,” Escudero told GMA News TV's News to Go in an interview. 

 

The senator also cast doubt on why Napoles gave the list to public personalities, instead of executing an affidavit and submitting it to the Ombudsman, as is customary. 

 

“Kung may affidavit talaga siya, dapat binigay niya sa abogado niya at sinumbit sa Ombudsman. Bakit may kopyang binigay kay [Panfilo] Lacson tapos sikreto raw? Bakit binigay kay Sandra Cam tapos sikreto raw? Bakit binigay kay [Justice Secretary Leila] De Lima na sikreto rin daw? Di yan ang paraan para maglahad ng affidavit,” he said.

 

Last week, Lacson and De Lima both claimed to have obtained “lists” of names of people in government who have supposedly benefitted from the pork scam. Former jueteng whistleblower Sandra Cam also allegedly has a separate list. 

 

On Monday night, Lacson divulged several names based on his list he obtained from Napoles' husband Jimmy: Escudero, Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago, Alan Peter Cayetano, and Gregorio Honasan II as well as Budget Secretary Florencio Abad.

A list obtained by GMA News also includes Escudero.

 

But Escudero said he found it incredulous that his name is on any list, adding that he was one of those who signed a subpoena order for the Senate to be able to examine the lists of names.

 

“Balita ko nga isa ako sa nagpa subpoena ng listahan na yan. Gusto ko rin malaman ang laman ng listahan na yan. Liwanagin lang natin, ang listahan na yan binigay ni Jimmy Napoles kay Sec. Lacson. Nalilito nga ako kung bakit tila galing kay Sec. Lacson ang mga pangalan na lumabas, at di na lang niya ipinaubaya kay Napoles. Nais ko rin malaman, yan ba ay tinatayuan ni Sec Lacson bilang totoo o sinasabi lamang niyang listahan ito galing kay Jimmy Napoles?” Escudero said.

 

The senator also said he subpoenaed the lists to figure out how two Cabinet secretaries and a private individual got a hold of such lists. 

 

“Hindi ko rin alam [kung bakit kay Lacson binigay] kaya nga kahapon pinanukala ko sa blue ribbon committee na maliban sa listahan ni Sec. De Lima, isubpoena din ang listahan ni Sec. Ping, pati si Sec. Ping, ang listahan ni Sandra Cam pati si Sandra Cam para mapakinggan natin, pano ba nila nakuha yung listahan, saan ba galing, sino bang nagbigay sa kanila, naniniwala ba sila sa slistahan, sila ba ay tumetestigo ba sa listahan dahil sila itong salita ng salita ukol sa listahang hawak nila.,” he said.

 

Earlier, De Lima said she came about her own list from a meeting with Napoles before the businesswoman had her uterus and ovaries surgically removed in April. — with Patricia Denise Chiu/RSJ, GMA News