De Lima on Duterte's threat to link her to Napoles, PDAF scam: 'Rehashed issue'

Rehashed.

This was how Sen. Leila de Lima described the statement made by President Rodrigo Duterte linking her to businessman Janet Lim-Napoles and the P10-billion pork barrel fund scam.

De Lima on Tuesday told Senate reporters: "Naku, rehashed issue na naman iyan."

"Iyan ang sinasabi ko. Bakit sila naghahalungkat nang naghahalungkat ng mga iyan? Anong ibig sabihin niyan?" De Lima asked.

In an early morning press conference over the weekend, Duterte vowed to come out with "revealing things" about the multi-billion peso scam that involved siphoning off lawmakers' Priority Development Assistance Fund into non-existent non-government organizations.

"The Napoles case should deserve a second look for it also involves corruption and De Lima," Duterte said. 

De Lima said, "Masyado naman silang... Pwede bang huwag na muna natin pag-usapan iyan."

De Lima noted the Deparment of Justice's (DOJ) efforts during her term as Secretary to prosecute Napoles, who was accused by her former employee Benhur Luy of serious illegal detention.

In August 2013, the DOJ overturned an earlier resolution clearing Napoles of the charge, as it recommended that she be charged before the Makati Regional Trial Court.

In April last year, the Makati court sentenced Napoles to reclusion perpetua, or 20 years and one day up to 40 years in jail, after she was found guilty of the charge.

"Sino ba nagpakulong kay Napoles? Sagutin niyo na lang iyan tapos i-implicate ako kay Napoles. That is too unfair," De Lima said. — VVP/JST, GMA News