Senators to Napoles: ‘What agent?’ to ‘A lie’

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – From “a perjured lie” to “what agent,” senators rebutted the affidavit of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles, saying they neither knew her nor the alleged agents she mentioned.

While some issued general denials or simply refused to comment, other senators categorically denied specific details stated in Napoles’ affidavit. They also questioned the accuracy of the facts she stated and her tack of using supposed agents to drag them into the scam. Some considered filing cases against her.

On Monday, May 26, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima submitted two Napoles affidavits to the Senate in compliance with a subpoena for the blue ribbon committee’s investigation into the scam. In the affidavits dated May 12 and 26, Napoles detailed her alleged transactions with 20 former and incumbent senators. 

Napoles is applying for immunity for her and her children as she faces plunder charges for allegedly conniving with top lawmakers and executive officials to funnel pork barrel funds to her bogus non-governmental organizations, and split millions of pesos in kickbacks. Her children are her co-accused, and face graft charges. (READ:Napoles: I’m victim of scam, scapegoat of officials)

Rappler published a summary of the transactions with the 20 senators, based on Napoles’ affidavit. Here is the response of some of the senators so far issued on Tuesday, May 27:

Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II

Honasan categorically denied having an employee known as “Atty Danny,” which Napoles identified in her affidavit as his “agent” and her only link to the senator.

“[There is] no such person or employee staff named Atty Dan or Atty Danny in my office past or present,” Honasan told Rappler. “I have served with integrity, dedication as senator of the Republic.”

Former Senator Loi Estrada

Senator Jinggoy Estrada spoke on behalf of his mother, saying she knew nothing about transactions with Napoles.

“When my mommy became senator, she did not know about pork barrel. She left her PDAF to the one who was in charge of it, Mr Jake Acuña,” Estrada told reporters.

Napoles said she transacted with former Senator Loi Estrada through actor Mat Ranillo who supposedly brought her a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) he got from Jake Acuña. She said she also issued a check in the name of the late Carlos “Butch” Tuason worth P8 million involving Estrada’s pork barrel funds.

“My mommy knows nothing about this. I already asked her. She was surprised that she was included in the list,” Senator Jinggoy Estrada added. 

Senator Loren Legarda

Napoles said her link to Legarda was an “agent” named Catherine Mae “Maya” Santos. Rappler sought Legarda’s response to her alleged ties to Santos but has yet to receive a response.

The senator though issued a statement denying any dealings with Napoles or her group. “I have never received monetary or any form of illegal benefit from my PDAF (pork barrel) or its equivalent at any time. I have never authorized anyone in my staff or outside of my office to transact with anyone.”

Legarda reiterated that her pork barrel funds went to accredited government agencies and local government units. She said the money was used for the following:

• 300 classrooms worth P150 million
• Financial assistance to indigents during disasters through the Department of Social Welfare and Development
• National Museum’s Hibla and Baybayin galleries
• Medical assistance in Philippine General Hospital and other hospitals
• Scholarships in state colleges and universities
• Livelihood assistance to schools of living traditions of indigenous peoples
• Financial assistance to farmers and rural folks, etc.

“I never endorsed any NGO to benefit from my PDAF. Any statement to the contrary contained in any affidavit is a perjured lie and is actionable criminally against those involved in this smear campaign,” Legarda said.

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr

Like in the case of Legarda, Napoles said Maya Santos was the agent of Marcos, and she did not directly talk to or know him.

Marcos admitted that Santos was “detailed” to his office from January 2011 to June 2013 after “she was engaged as a consultant by various Senate Cogngressional Committees.”

“Immediately after the SONA last July 2012, I reorganized the Senate office and adopted a system whereby all departments were required to submit an annual ‘Year End Report’ for internal purposes,” Marcos said in a statement.

“Since my office had not received any ‘Year End Report’ from Ms. Santos despite several verbal and written requests to submit the same, we were constrained to terminate her consultancy services on 21 March 2013.”

Marcos noted that Santos’ consultancy was terminated in March 2013 or 4 months before the pork barrel scam became public.

“The Affidavit speaks for itself.  As I’ve said from day one, I never met Ms. Napoles. I never spoke to her nor did I ever have any personal dealings with her.  Ms. Napoles’ Affidavit confirms this fact,” Marcos said.

 

Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III

Senator Sotto refused to comment on Napoles’ claim that a certain Jennifer Corpuz was his agent, who allegedly even asked for a Hyundai Starex as a birthday gift for Sotto’s wife.

“Huwag na, please. [It] does not deserve my attention. Pasensya na. Every time my name is mentioned, they come up with something else,” Sotto told Rappler. (I don’t want to comment. I hope you understand.)

Former Senator Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr 

In response to Napoles’ claim that she gave him campaign funds, Villar reiterated his previous statement that he has no dealings with her or her NGOs.

“It is very unfair, not to mention totally baseless that my name is being dragged into this issue, which has now become so politicized. It seems like a new list is being drawn everyday. I too hope for the truth to come out, which the taxpaying public justly deserves.”

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III

Pimentel both laughed at and questioned Napoles’ affidavit. He told Rappler that Louie Cruz, the man Napoles identified as “another agent” who gave money to his estranged wife Jewel Pimentel, was actually from the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“That’s Louie Cruz of Inquirer, who becomes all of a sudden ‘my agent!’ He is Louie Cruz of Inquirer. I think he is with Lifestyle. Read Napoles’ interview with the Inquirer last year. She mentioned him as one who helped arrange that interview, and now he is ‘my agent!’ Haha what a joke.”

Pimentel said he only saw Cruz “maybe twice in my life in parties or gatherings.” “I know how he looks. He is a nodding acquaintance but not a friend.”

The senator also questioned Napoles’ narration style in the affidavit using the agents as categories for explaining her dealings with officials.

“Under Louie Cruz heading are two names, mine and [Antonio] Lagdameo’s [Sr]. And Napoles says he is my agent. And he is Lagdameo’s agent. But not Napoles’ agent? Hehe wise adviser this person who advised her to use that point of view. The agents are the lawmakers’ agents not her agents!”

In a subsequent statement issued Tuesday, Pimentel admitted meeting Napoles on May 12, 2012 in the Makati Shangri-la at the suggestion of a new friend Robert Castañeda, whom he described as a leader of a prayer or religious group. 

Pimentel said that Castañeda told him that Louie Cruz claimed to have given his wife money in exchange for “projects.” The senator said he and Jewel separated in November 2011. 

“Janet Napoles alleged that she was the source of the money allegedly given by Louie Cruz to Jewel. During the meeting, she asked for ‘projects’ (apparently or maybe so that she could recover the amount she allegedly disbursed or ‘advanced’). I refused her request outright.”

“If my estranged wife had been involved with Louie Cruz and/or Napoles, as claimed by Napoles, then that is her own doing, out of her own volition.”

Pimentel said that in hindsight, he made a mistake in meeting Napoles. “But still, I did the right thing by not dealing with her regarding my PDAF or any other matter.”

Former Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr

Pimentel’s father, former Senate President Nene Pimentel, did not take the allegations as lightly as his son did. The elder Pimentel denied knowing the agent Mon Arcenas.

“Neither have I asked for, demanded or received any bloody centavo from Napoles or Luy. Or from any of my PDAF beneficiaries. I do not know Napoles or Luy from Serpent and have not met either one for good or ill,” Pimentel told Rappler.

Pimentel added, “My lawyers are preparing appropriate case(s) against those who are maliciously dragging me into the mess.”

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano

Cayetano rejected Napoles’ affidavit as full of half-truths and inconsistencies. He denied receiving campaign funds from her for his 2013 re-election bid.

Napoles said a certain “Tito Boy,” supposedly an uncle of Cayetano, was his agent for a DOTC project when he was still congressman. She said the project did not push through and the money she gave Tito Boy was returned but incomplete.

Cayetano admitted knowing a Tito Boy based outside of the Philippines “but he has nothing to do with pork barrel.”

The senator also denied Napoles’ claim that they met in Slice restaurant where she personally handed him money for his campaign. Cayetano’s sister, Senator Pia Cayetano, owns Slice restaurant in Taguig.  

“I didn’t meet her in Slice. I don’t know her so if I bumped into her anywhere, maybe she saw me. I don’t know if she ate there or whatever but I didn’t meet her specifically to get money or to do any deals with her. I don’t know her,” Cayetano said.  

Senator Francis Escudero

Escudero said that Napoles’ allegations were wrong, starting with the date she claimed she met him. Napoles said she met Escudero in 2010, and gave him money to finance his presidential bid.

“In 2010, I was already campaigning for Noy-Bi. I wasn’t even a candidate. A few months before, in 2009, I already denied that I was running for president in 2010,” Escudero told reporters.

The senator denied meeting Napoles in EDSA Shangri-la hotel and the restaurant Taste of LA. Yet he admitted he frequents the restaurant.

“I always go there, even in slippers but these stories came out from her lawyer that first we met at her office and house, now they are saying we met at a restaurant and hotel. That is not true.”

Escudero maintained that he does not recall meeting Napoles, but his staff told him he met him when he was still Sorsogon representative. He admitted that Napoles was privy to details about the senators because Taste of LA is one of his favorite restaurants.

“It is clear that she knows something about our activities. Maybe someone is teaching her but only one thing is clear. She released two affidavits, one for the Ombudsman, one for the public, even written in Tagalog. It’s clear she wants to muddle the issue. Eyes on the ball. Who gave her PDAF? Who benefitted from PDAF? Where did government money go?” 

 

Senator Cynthia Villar (former Las Piñas Representative)

Villar reiterated her denial that she does not know Napoles or had transactions with her NGOs. Napoles said she transacted with Villar for the 2004 DOTC project of the Congress minority block. Villar has said she only accepted the computers for her constituents, and it is the DOTC that must be investigated.

“This political persecution masquerading as a search for truth is reminiscent of what we experienced during the 2010 presidential elections. My husband, Manny Villar, and I endured malicious allegations that up to now remain unproven. It pains me to see that some quarters resort to dirty tactics to pursue political ends,” Villar said. (READ: Cynthia Villar: You think we need Napoles money?)

Rappler is still trying to get the comments of the other senators Napoles mentioned.  – Rappler.com