Somethin’ Cookin’ Up?
By Manny Pinol
Is there a sinister agenda to prevent Janet Lim Napoles from spilling the beans in front of the entire nation?
In what appears to be an indication that he is dragging his feet on Napoles’ appearance and testimony in the Blue Ribbon Committee, Senate President Franklin Drilon refused to sign a subpoena for the suspected pork barrel scam mastermind requested by Senator Teofisto Guingona III.
Drilon, who himself is facing plunder charges before the Ombudsman for the alleged overpriced construction of the P200-M Hall of Justice in Iloilo City, announced in a press conference Tuesday that he was heeding the advice of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales that it was not proper to ask Napoles to testify before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee while the Office of the Ombudsman is investigating the plunder charges against her.
“Napoles is not expected to appear before the committee on Thursday after Drilon on Tuesday announced that he was deferring to the Ombudsman’s opinion that it was “not advisable at this time for Ms. Napoles to testify before the blue ribbon committee on what she knows about the alleged scam,” the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported in a story today.
“Let us not forget that the Ombudsman is not an ordinary government functionary. She is an independent constitutional official, and the Office of the Ombudsman is a constitutional office,” Drilon said in an early-afternoon news conference on Tuesday the PDI report added.
“Out of prudence and out of respect for her office, we must defer to the judgment of the Ombudsman as she has acquired primary jurisdiction over the case,” Drilon was quoted by the PDI as saying.
But Guingona, who is the vice chairman of the Liberal Party and a party-mate of Drilon, would have none of the arguments of the Senate President and appeared incensed by what he suspects to be an attempt to muzzle Napoles.
Here are excerpts from the PDI story on the growing rift between Drilon and Guingona:
“I’m not in favor of getting the comment of the Ombudsman. The power of the Senate is supreme. We can’t allow the opinion of another branch of government to hold sway here,” Guingona said after Tuesday morning’s abbreviated inquiry into the pork barrel scam.
“Like Drilon, De Lima cited provisions of the Ombudsman Law and the Ombudsman’s rules in her decision to forego the appearance of any of the witnesses in the scam.
“De Lima said she didn’t mean to undermine the authority of the Senate but only wanted to have the Ombudsman’s guidance before allowing the witnesses to testify in the Senate inquiry.
“Apparently unimpressed with De Lima’s explanation, Guingona issued a subpoena for De Lima and the witnesses to appear at the hearing on Thursday.
“Guingona indicated that if the Senate blue ribbon committee did not assert its authority, wrongdoers who don’t want to appear at its hearings could have other people file flimsy cases in the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Once you have a case, you can no longer be touched by the Senate blue ribbon committee. I will not let that happen. That’s wrong and I won’t let that happen on my watch. That will never happen,” he said.
“In his news conference, Drilon signed Guingona’s subpoena for De Lima and whistle-blowers Benhur Luy, Gertrudes Luy, Marina Sula and Merlina Suñas.
“Drilon said it was now up to De Lima, the subject of the subpoena, to seek the Ombudsman’s guidance if she wanted to.
“The Office of the Ombudsman has already issued a ruling in the case of Napoles, so we will follow that,” he said.
“There is no such request for the whistle-blowers and the subpoena is addressed to Secretary De Lima. If Secretary De Lima thinks that she should request the opinion of the Ombudsman, that is the matter that Secretary De Lima should handle,” Drilon added.
“In his own news conference earlier Tuesday, Guingona said there was no need to talk with Drilon on the subpoena he would issue to De Lima and the witnesses.
“I totally disagree with the action of the Senate President on that matter,” Guingona said, referring to Drilon’s move to get Morales’ consent before signing the subpoena Guingona had sought for Napoles.
“No more. I have already stated in public that I am issuing it. I will issue it…. He has his prerogatives, I have my duty,” Guingona added.”
Earlier, it was Drilon, along with several other senators, who thumbed down the idea of conducting a probe into the pork barrel scam which was first cracked open by investigative reporters of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The move drew bitter criticism from the mavericks in the Senate, among them Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero who complained that the campaign against corruption under the administration of President Aquino III would be placed under question.
In the face of public outrage, however, he and several others yielded and allowed the investigation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee which led to the appearance of main whistleblower Benhur Luy.
While Luy’s testimony gave the nation an intimate knowledge on how Janet Lim-Napoles, several senators and congressmen, and the heads of government departments feasted on the P10-B pork barrel funds and the Malampaya Gas Funds, Napoles testimony is considered explosive.
Placed before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Napoles could cave in to the inquisitiveness of some Senators like Escudero and Guingona himself.
With Drilon’s latest questionable move, the people are now left asking: “Is he hiding something? Or is he protecting some people whose names may be mentioned by Napoles in the course of the Blue Ribbon investigation?”
(Photo credit: Senate file photo shows Senators Drilon and Guingona)
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