Cynthia Villar: You think we need Napoles money?

MANILA, Philippines – “Do you think Senator Manny Villar needs funds from Napoles?”

A feisty Senator Cynthia Villar bristled at alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles’ claim of giving campaign funds to her husband, property magnate and former Senate President Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr.

The senator responded to the affidavit where Napoles said she gave money to former Senator Villar for the 2010 elections.

“May ipon naman kami. Siyempre, kapag may kompanya ka, may dividend ka. Tsaka kung hindi naman kayang kumandidato on our own, hindi kami kakandidato,” Villar told reporters on Tuesday, May 27.

(We have savings. Of course, if you have a company, you have dividends. And if we cannot fund our own campaign, we won’t run for office.)

Villar was referring to her family’s real estate empire Vista Land, where her husband is chairman. The Villar couple has traditionally ranked as the richest lawmakers in Congress. Manny Villar ran for president in 2010 but lost despite being a top spender and flooding airwaves with ads. 

In her affidavit dated May 26, Napoles said Candaba, Pampanga Mayor Rene Maglanque introduced the agent Jun Adriano to her for a project in the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). “Jun in turn introduced me to Sen Manny Villar. I gave money to Sen Villar for the elections because he asked for it. We met in Shaw Boulevard.” Napoles did not say how much the money was. (READ: Napoles details ‘transactions’ with 20 senators)

Villar said her husband met “hundreds and thousands” of people during the 2010 campaign but not Napoles. “He did not accept political contributions from people he did not know. The sources of his campaign funds are listed in his submission to the Commission on Elections.”

Mrs Villar though admitted that Adriano helped out her husband that time. “I don’t know. Maybe they asked someone to give it but they did not give it to Manny Villar.”

Villar said she does not mean to say that the campaign funds were just loose change. “We worked hard for all we earned. There is no loose change for us.”

Napoles faces plunder charges for allegedly conspiring with top executive and legislative officials to siphon off pork barrel funds to her fake non-governmental organizations in exchange for millions of pesos in kickbacks. She is offering to testify on her knowledge of the scam in a bid for immunity for her and her children.

‘I will just buy them new computers’

A former Las Piñas representative, Villar was also implicated in the controversy, with Napoles claiming a transaction with her for a 2004 Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) project of the House minority bloc. The project was supposedly worth P3.74 million for the delivery of computers.

An irritated Villar again responded to the issue, which she has been denying since newspapers reported it. She reiterated that she only accepted the 20 computers because “Naawa lang ako sa mga school namin.” (I had pity on our schools.)

Villar said she was willing to spend her own money to replace the computers worth about P400,000.

“I want to return the computers but that was back in 2003 so the computers probably broke down already. We do not even know where it went. They should just pinpoint the recipients of the 20 computers, and I am willing to replace them.”

The senator again said that Napoles’ affidavit and list seem to be meant to destroy the rivals of whoever is orchestrating the supposed plot.

“We are not running in 2016 that’s why we are surprised why they are ganging up on us. Maybe they do not want to believe us,” Villar said. “It is surprising. Those who Napoles does not know are in the affidavit. Those she knows are not there.”

Cayetano: JLN is Janet Lies Napoles

Villar’s partymate in the Nacionalista Party (NP), Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, also denounced Napoles’ claim that she gave him campaign funds for his 2013 re-election bid.

“After looking over the two affidavits of Janet Lim Napoles, akala ko ang JLN means Janet Lim Napoles. Yun pala Janet Lies Napoles,” Cayetano quipped. “Because it is a tailor-fitted affidavit sa kanyang depensa at sa kanyang paghingi ng immunity.”

(I thought JLN means Janet Lim Napoles. It turns out it is Janet Lies Napoles. Because it is a tailor-fitted affidavit for her defense and her request for immunity.)

In her affidavit, Napoles said a certain “Tito Boy,” whom she described as Cayetano’s uncle became an agent for a DOTC project when Cayetano was still a congressman. She said the project did not push through and the money she gave Tito Boy was returned but incomplete.

In a separate list under “no agents,” Napoles said she gave money for the campaign of Cayetano in the last election. “We met in Slice restaurant in Bonifacio Global City. I personally handed the money to him.”

The senator said Napoles’ affidavit was full of “half-truths and inconsistencies.”

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

On the alleged meeting in Slice restaurant, Cayetano said, “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 admits frequenting Slice, a restaurant that his sister Senator Pia Cayetano owns. “Everyone knows Slice because that’s my sister’s and the food there is good.”

Cayetano reiterated that Napoles is only out to muddle and confuse the issue.  He again challenged her to confront him in a Senate hearing.

“Pumunta siya dito, maglagay siya ng detalye. Para magkaalaman kami.” (She should come here and give details. So we find out who is telling the truth.) – Rappler.com