DOJ: No immunity for Janet Napoles MANILA - The Department of Justice (DOJ) is against any grant of immunity to alleged pork barrel scam brains Janet Lim Napoles, who is set to appear before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committe on November 7. Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said any possible immunity to Napoles should be decided by the Office of the Ombudsman which is now reviewing the National Bureau of Investigations (NBI) plunder complaint against Napoles and several others for the massive pork barrel scam. Sana the Senate or the [Blue Ribbon] Committee is not minded to grant any form of immunity at this point to Mrs. Napoles, De Lima said. Benhur Luy and the other so-called whistleblowers, all of whom are former employees of Napoles, are also set to appear in the Nov. 7 hearing. While she still maintains her position that the key players in the scam should no longer be called to testify before the Blue Ribbon because of the pendency of the cases before the Ombudsman, De Lima said it will be better for the whistleblowers to be present, just in case Napoles does talk. I maintain my position na sana hindi sila (whistleblowers) pinapa-appear at sino yung mga involved sa kaso sa Ombudsman, although ginagalang natin ang authority ng Senado na magsagawa ng imbestigasyon na yan in aid of legislation. Maganda na readily available mga whistleblower natin, in case magsalita nang magsalita si Mrs Napoles, De Lima said. The justice chief, however, believes Napoles will refuse to incriminate herself, as already earlier announced by the latters lawyer, Lorna Kapunan. Malabo yan kasi sinabi na ng kanyang abugada na hindi niya papayagan na ma-incriminate si Mrs Napoles sa hearing na yan. Baka wala tayo masyado maaasahan in terms of sasabihin niya. Hindi natin siya maaasahan na magsalita nang ganoon o magsabi ng buong katotoahanan kung wala syang assurance na immunity, kasi kung magsasalita na siya nang buong katotohanan then that would entail self-incrimination , De Lima said. LET THE OTHERS TESTIFY De Lima said the chiefs of staff and other personnel of lawmakers charged for the scam should surface and also appear before the Blue Ribbon to complete the entire picture. Since pinatawag na si Mrs Napoles, ibig sabihin, yung Senate is bent on finding out more about the scam. So hindi lang tungkol sa scheme ang gusto malaman ng Committee kundi marami pa sila gusto malaman tungkol dyan sa controversy na yan. Mas maganda tawagin na rin yung iba, yung chiefs of staff ng lawmakers... sila Atty Gigi Reyes, si Atty [Richard] Cambe, Ruby Tuason, Pauline Labayen... they were also charged. Nasaan ba sila Gigi Reyes and Ruby Tuason? De Lima asked. The DOJ is now studying legal measures on how to effect the cancellation of the passports of Reyes, Tuason, and the other personalities charged before the anti-graft office who have already left the country. Im thinking of a remedy para lumabas sila.Wala pa kaso sa Sandiganbayan, at sa ngayon, suspended ang power of the DOJ to issue HDO (hold departure order) and WLO (watch list order) because of the [Supreme Court] TRO. So iniisip ko, Philippine Passport Act. Im looking for the proper ground to ask the DFA (Dept of Foreign Affairs) to cancel their passports, De Lima said.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 17:12:33 +0000
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