Miriam sees Enrile hand in Lacson exposé

Ayee Macaraig

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Miriam sees Enrile hand in Lacson exposé
Santiago says Ping 'is known as a very close attack dog of Enrile,' and sees a plan in his claim that Napoles' family gave him an affidavit tagging 12 senators and 100-plus congressmen in the pork scam

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago sees something sinister in the latest exposé of former senator Panfilo Lacson: the hand of her archenemy Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile.

Santiago questioned Lacson’s statement that the family of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles gave him a draft affidavit reportedly tagging 12 senators and more than 100 congressmen in the controversy.

A bitter rival of the rehabilitation secretary, Santiago believed Lacson’s revelations were “highly, highly problematic,” and meant to complicate the case ahead of the filing of plunder charges against Enrile. 

Nagsisinungaling ang Lacson na iyan kasi may record siyang sinungaling siya eh,” Santiago said in an interview over Radyo Inquirer on Thursday, April 24. (That Lacson is lying because he has a record of being a liar.)

Bakit siya ang sentro, puntahan ng asawa at anak ni Napoles? May storya siya pero wala siyang independent validation, no independent witness with credibility who can say all these things happened,” she added. (Why is he the center, go-to person of Napoles’ husband and children? He has a story but no independent validation.)

Watch this report below.

 

Santiago was responding to Lacson’s statement on Wednesday that Napoles’ husband, Jaime, and two children met with him in March and gave him a copy of her draft affidavit, and a recording of a “sensitive” telephone conversation.

She cautioned the public against believing Lacson, saying the rehabilitation secretary showed no proof that the affidavit was authentic. She added that he had no role in the investigation into the pork barrel scam.

Napoles’ lawyer, Bruce Rivera, though had confirmed that the Napoleses approached Lacson before meeting with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday.

“He’s asking the public to take him at face value but he has no official connection with this investigation. He’s only a presidential assistant of which there are dozens in Malacañang. He said he got the affidavit last month. Why is he only releasing this now when the Secretary of Justice said the principal accused is willing to make a full statement of fact?” Santiago said.

The senator said she believes Lacson is only speaking up to prevent Napoles from naming Enrile as the scam mastermind. Santiago has repeatedly said that Enrile is the real brains behind the scheme.

“The most important question here is: why all of a sudden is he calling attention to himself? He is known as a very close attack dog of Enrile. Kaya siguradong may naisip itong si Enrile. (For certain, Enrile thought of a plan.) The situation is like this: You’re Enrile, you might be named as the most guilty and therefore you won’t be accepted as state witness,” she said.

Sought for comment, Lacson told Rappler, “Let her quake in her shoes. More than anybody else, she, Benhur Luy and Mrs Napoles know where she stands on the pork barrel and fertilizer scam issues.”

Santiago clashed with Lacson after the secretary defended Enrile at the height of the Senate fund controversy in 2013. The two have since exchanged sharp criticism.

Enrile and Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr and Jinggoy Estrada face plunder charges for allegedly funneling their pork barrel funds to Napoles’ bogus non-governmental organizations in exchange for millions of pesos in kickbacks. Napoles is their co-accused.

Enrile, Gigi, Lacson all connected

Santiago said she saw a connection between all of the sudden developments in the case: the return of Enrile’s former chief of staff lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes from the United States, Napoles’ turnaround, and Lacson’s exposé.

“Now, the problem here is where does Napoles’ loyalty lie? Is she loyal to [President Aquino] who said the anti-corruption drive is the flagship of this administration? Or is she loyal to Enrile because she is afraid Enrile will have her killed through Lacson?”

She found the timing of the developments suspicious, coming as the Ombudsman is about to file plunder charges against the accused.

“Why are all of these happening while their motion for reconsideration is pending? That has an automatic result if charges are filed in court,” Santiago said, referring to the suspension of senators from office and inability to post bail for plunder.

Santiago said she thinks Enrile is “hiding” Reyes in his home province of Cagayan, as he allegedly did with Lacson when the former senator became a fugitive while the Dacer-Corbito double murder case was pending in court.

“This is the thinking of the coffee shop group of Metro Manila and all other thinking citizens because the actions of the allies of Enrile are not logical,” she said. We cannot see as separate instances the actions of these 3: Gigi Reyes, Pinky Lacson and Juan Ponce Enrile.” 

‘Napoles has to name Enrile as mastermind’

For Napoles to be admitted as a state witness, Santiago said she must prove that she is not the most guilty in the scam by pointing to the real mastermind.

“There is no secret that I think the most guilty here is former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. Why?…No matter what the level of Napoles’ cunning might be, she cannot equal the influence of the Senate President who has management and administration of the entire Senate including his funds.” 

Napoles’ lawyer had said that their camp has records to prove she is not the mastermind of the biggest corruption scandal in recent history. – Rappler.com 

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