The Senate blue ribbon committee will not immediately reinvite alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles to its probe on the supposed anomaly for her tell-all.
In a statement Thursday, Senator Teofisto Guingona III, blue ribbon committee chairman, said his panel “has opted to take the prudent course” on reinviting Napoles.
“We will wait for Secretary [Leila] De Lima to finish documenting the supposed disclosure of Janet Lim-Napoles. Upon receipt of the affidavit of Janet Lim-Napoles by the Blue Ribbon Committee, the same will be evaluated before we make the final decision,” Guingona said.
Napoles and the three senators are currently facing plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly pocketing public funds from the alleged pork barrel anomaly.
‘Why wait?’
Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, an ex-officio member of the blue ribbon committee, however said that he “respectfully disagrees” with Guingona’s decision to delay reinviting Napoles.
“Once she [Napoles] is physically well, why wait? It is our obligation na malaman agad kung ano ang sasabihin niya,” Cayetano said at a separate press briefing Thursday.
He added that Napoles’ affidavit “will not contain all her thoughts”—the reason why she has to immediately appear in a public hearing.
Cayetano also appealed to the alleged scam mastermind to “tell all right away.”
“Huwag na mag-strategize. Come over here. Kung mas comfortable siya sa ospital, puwede naman namin siyang puntahan,” the Senate leader said.
Napoles underwent surgery on Monday night, where her ovaries and uterus were removed.
She is currently under detention while facing a serious illegal detention case. —KG, GMA News
