“I won’t bow down to pressure from anyone or any group (challenging) that I make Napoles’ list public at this point,” De Lima told reporters in Manila on Friday.
Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Francis Escudero, among other lawmakers, have already appealed for the release of Napoles’ supposed list of individuals involved in the multi-billion-peso controversy, that reportedly included Sen. Gringo Honasan as well as eight former and incumbent congressmen.
Groups such as the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan have likewise posed the same challenge to De Lima to reveal the manes of persons on the list.
Former Senator Panfilo Lacson earlier revealed that he, too, allegedly has a copy of Napoles’ list that was supposedly handed to him by the businesswoman’s husband, Jaime. Lacson claimed more than 100 people have been implicated.
Like De Lima, Lacson had ignored calls to make public his copy of the list.
Even Sandra Cam, president of the Whistlblowers Association of the Philippines, claims to be in possession of Napoles’ list, which she claimed included 16 senators, two Cabinet officials, and around 80 lawmakers from the House of Representatives.
Cam warned De Lima she would reveal the contents of Napoles’ list if the Justice secretary would attempt to “sanitize” the list to exclude administration allies.
On Friday, De Lima cast doubts on the authenticity of the supposed lists in the hands of Lacson, Cam and others claiming to have one. The Justice secretary expressed fears that a “mayhem” could happen due to individuals trying to meddle with the issue.
De Lima said she would also be meeting with Benhur Luy and other whistleblowers in the pork barrel scam either Wednesday or Thursday next week.
De Lima had earlier vowed not to tamper with Napoles’ list.
“Huwag po kayong mag-alala, wala akong tatanggalin diyan, wala akong idadagdag diyan. Kung ano ang [provided] ni Mrs. Napoles, iyon din ang malalaman niyo in due time,” she said. — LBG, GMA News
