Levito Baligod , the former lawyer of pork scam whistle-blower Benhur Luy, believes his former client has the more credible list of lawmakers implicated in the pork barrel scam of Janet Lim Napoles. He said he made separate lists based on the information, which was then verified by the pork scam whistle-blowers.
MANILA, May 15 (Mabuhay) – The camp of pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy on Thursday opposed the bid of Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the multibillion-peso anomaly, to become a state witness and get immunity from suit.
“We believe that she should not be granted immunity. Her questionable credibility is a natural liability that can do nothing to contribute to the cause of our witnesses,” Luy’s legal counsel Raji Mendoza told reporters on Thursday.
Mendoza noted how Napoles had lied “many times”, citing her appearance at a Senate inquiry where she denied any knowledge on the P10-billion anomaly.
But lately, Napoles confessed to taking part in the scheme and even produced a list implicating several people.
“We do not know kung ang sinasabi niya ba ay ang buong katotohanan, bawas na ang katotohanan, nadagdagang katotothanan, or pawang kasinungalingan,” Mendoza said.
On the other hand, the camp of Technology Resource Center director general-on-leave Dennis Cunanan, a co-accused in the scam who turned provisional state witness, refused to comment on the Napoles’ immunity bid.
“For now wala kaming mai-co-comment diyan sa intention niyang maging state witness at ang pagkakadinig ko according to her lawyer, hindi naman siya nag-a-apply maging state witness,” Cunanan’s lawyer Odessa Bernardo said.
De Lima earlier confirmed that Napoles had formally requested that she be given immunity, but said it was up to the Office of the Ombudsman to decide whether to grant the businesswoman’s plea. (MNS)