LIVE BLOG: Napoles at Senate pork scam

hearing (Nov. 7, 2013)

By KAREN GALARPE, GMA NewsNovember 7, 2013 9:51am
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Tags: Bantay Kaban

Janet Napoles presents herself to the Senate. Janet Lim-Napoles takes her oath before testifying at a Senate inquiry into the alleged P10B pork barrel scam on Thursday,
November 7.Benjie Castro

Janet Lim-Napoles, suspected brains of the scam involving the Priority

Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel funds of lawmakers, is
appearing at the Senate hearing on the matter on Thursday.

Napoles is facing plunder charges filed by the government at the Ombudsman for
the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

Among her co-respondents in the complaint are Senate Minority Leader Juan
Ponce Enrile and Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Bong Revilla Jr.

The senators supposedly received kickbacks through the siphoning of lawmakers'

PDAF to fake non-government organizations said to have been set up by Napoles.

GMA News Online is live-blogging the event, which is also attended by scam
whistleblowers led by Napoles' former employee Benhur Luy.

Please refresh this page to get new updates.

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10:06 a.m.: Janet Lim-Napoles enters the Senate hall wearing a bullet-proof vest.
10:12 a.m.: Sen. TG Guingona says the blue ribbon committee is hoping to see the
whole picture of the scam "para 'di na ito maulit pa." But he reiterates that the
hearing is important for Napoles to address the issues raised by the
whistleblowers if these are true, and to convey the truth to the public.
"Pagkakataon niyong makatulong sa bayan. Huwag niyong sayangin," Guingona
appeals to Napoles.

10:15 a.m.: Napoles takes oath to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

10:16 a.m.: Napoles says she has no lawyer to represent her. Guingona says there
are three lawyers from the Public Attorney's Office present who can represent
her. He gives Napoles until 10:30 a.m. to talk to them. PAO lawyers say it's their
first time to meet Napoles.

READ: Janet Napoles faces Senate pork probe for first time

10:48 a.m.: Hearing resumes. PAO lawyer Howard Areza says they have informed
Napoles of her constitutional rights. He also requested for an executive session
due to the sensitivity of the issue. Such a session is to be conducted behind closed
doors.

READ: Napoles asks for executive session with senators

10:49 a.m.: Guingona suspends hearing to discuss the request.

10:53 a.m.: Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano reads the rules governing the conduct of an
executive session in the Senate.

10:55 a.m.: Guingona says the committee is rejecting Napoles' request for an
executive session and again appeals for her to tell the whole truth.

10:56 a.m.: Guingona asks Napoles what her occupation is. Napoles says they
already have a tax evasion case filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and adds
she will answer such a question after the tax case is finished.

10:58 a.m.: Guingona inquires from Napoles if she knows the whistleblowers.
Napoles says she knows Benhur Luy, her employee, and his mother Gertrudes,
who takes care of her children.

10:59 a.m.: Guingona asks Napoles if she knows Helen and Napoles says she
doesn't know her. He then asks her if she knows Marina Sula, and Napoles
confirms she was their bookkeeper. Guingona asks about the other whistleblowers
like Arlene Baltazar. Napoles says Arlene does what she asks her to do.

11:02 a.m.: Guingona asks Napoles if it is true that she asked Benhur Luy and
other whistleblowers to set up fake non-government organizations, as Benhur
alleged. Napoles denies and says, "Hindi po."

11:04 a.m.: Benhur and Merlina Suñas disagree with what Napoles said.
"Nagsisinungaling po siya," Benhur says.

READ: Napoles disputes whistleblowers' allegations

11:06 a.m.: Marina Sula says Napoles asked them to form 20 NGOs and another
one named after her mother, Magdalena Luy Lim Foundation. Napoles says the
Magdalena Luy Lim Foundation is legitimate and it was formed to conduct their
outreach projects. "'Yun lang po ang tinayo namin," Napoles says, adding the other
NGOs mentioned by Guingona are not legitimate. "Hindi po," he says.

11:08 a.m.: Napoles asks for the affidavits of the whistleblowers so she can show
these to her lawyers.

READ: Emerging from detention, Napoles denies whistleblowers' allegations

11:11 a.m.: Suñas says she is president of the NGO People's Organization for
Progress and Development Inc.

11:12 a.m.: Napoles says "hindi ko alam" when asked by Guingona how the
whistleblowers can say the NGOs were established with the office addresses linked
to Napoles.

11:13 a.m.: Benhur Luy says Napoles is lying. "Nagsisinungaling siya," Benhur
says, since three NGOs were already established when he joined JLN Corporation,
the company headed by Napoles, in 2002. "Paghawak ko ng records, meron ng
listahan ng transaction sa gobyerno," Benhur says.

11:14 a.m.: Napoles keeps denying the existence of the other NGOs and says,
"Nakakaawa po 'yung mga senador na na-drag 'yung mga pangalan," referring to
the senators linked to the pork barrel scam.

11:21 a.m.: Guingona asks Napoles about lawmakers' supposed kickbacks. He

says Benhur said before that Napoles asked them to make vouchers for these
kickbacks, and asks her if that is true. Napoles says, "Sa tingin niyo, kung mga
ganung kickback tulad ng sinabi niyo, do you think ang isang mambabatas at chief
of staff pipirma ng mga ganung voucher? Kasinungalingan 'yan, walang bigayan
ng pera." Napoles also denies receiving 35 percent kickback from PDAF projects.
Suñas, however, stands by her allegation.

11:24 a.m.: Benhur and Sula reaffirm they did the vouchers for these kickbacks.
"Kaming dalawa ni Arlene Baltazar ang magkatulong na mag-shred ng mga check
at mga voucher," Sula said. Arlene confirms this and says Napoles asked them to
shred the documents at her Pacific Plaza unit so there will be no evidence linking
her to the scam.

11:29 a.m.: Napoles says, "Hindi po. Wala po," in reply to Guingona's question
regarding the shredding of documents. But Sula says because of the volume of
documents that had to be shred, Napoles even had to buy a heavy-duty shredder so
the equipment will not overheat.

11:32 a.m.: Guingona asks Benhur who received the kickbacks. Benhur says with
the case filed at the Ombudsman, the agency already has the documents. But he
affirms he has seen lawmakers arriving at the office to receive the money. He also
confirms that he has personally given the money to the lawmakers or their
representatives after the latter sign on the vouchers.

11:34 a.m.: Benhur tells Guingona that he has personally seen these persons go to
their office and receive money: Congressman Valdez, Atty. Richard Cambe, Ruby Tuason, and Pauline Labayen.

11:35 a.m.: Guingona asks Napoles if she knew these lawmakers. Napoles denies
knowing them.

11:41 a.m.: Benhur says he has the account numbers of the bank accounts of the
recipients of the kickbacks. He also says he goes to the houses of the lawmakers to
deliver the money.

11:48 a.m.: Benhur details division of kickbacks. He adds that among those who
received the kickback for Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile is his chief of staff, Atty. Gigi
Reyes. For Atty. Jinggoy Estrada, Benhur says Pauline Labayen and Ruby Tuason
receive the kickbacks amounting to 50 percent of the project costs.

12 nn: Benhur says Napoles gave him instructions before as to which funds were
to be deposited. She also told them to buy dollars from the black market and
deposit these to her bank account in the US. Benhur says he even has the account
number of Napoles. Guingona asks Napoles if this is true. Napoles says, "Hindi po
totoo." She adds there is already a pending case about this and they will reply then.
12:04 a.m.: Guingona asks Napoles if it is true that liquidation documents were
just forged as alleged by the whistleblowers. "Hindi po totoo," says Napoles. Suñas
says the beneficiaries did not receive anything. Sula says, "Nagsisinungaling po
siya. Kasi dun sa mga list of recipients, pumirma po siya. Nameke din po si
Madam Napoles sa list of beneficiaries." Napoles says it is not true that she signed
such documents. "Hindi po," she says.

12:08 p.m.: Benhur says there are many agents working for them, and names
fashion designer Eddie Baddeo as one of them. He says Baddeo has a list of the
projects. Benhur details the process of the scam down to the local government unit
level.

12:12 p.m.: Napoles denies all these. Guingona asks Napoles if she is aware that
she is under oath and that she is at risk of perjury if she does not tell the truth.
Napoles replies, "Opo."

12:13 p.m.: Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago thanks the committee for allowing her
to speak ahead of schedule as she is sick. She addresses Napoles, "Oh there you
are. Let me take a good look at you."

12:15 p.m.: Santiago discusses jurisprudence regarding right against self-

incrimination. She says the right applies only to a criminal case. But she says the
matter at hand is an administrative case.

12:17 p.m.: Santiago tells Napoles, "I will not bully you. I won't out-shout you... I
remind you Ms. Witness... wala kang karapatang magsabi ng sinungaling. Kasi pag
nagsinungaling ka, lagot ka... Nagsumpa ka eh." She addresses the crowd, "What is
so funny over there?!"

12:23 p.m.: Napoles is all ears listening to Santiago. "Hindi tama na bigyan ka
namin ng libre (na lawyer)," Santiago tells her, adding that public lawyers are for
those who cannot afford a lawyer.

12:24 p.m.: Santiago asks Napoles about Tanda (code name for a lawmaker).
Napoles invokes her right against self-incrimination.

12:27 p.m.: Santiago says, "Sino pa ba ang matanda dito sa Senado kung 'di si
Enrile?... Is Sen. Estrada si Sexy?" Napoles says, "Hindi ko po alam." Santiago
says, "'Di mo alam? Alam mo eh," then instructs Napoles to just invoke her right
against self-incrimination. She talks to a lawyer from PAO and asks him to talk to
his client. Santiago asks Napoles then if Sen. Revilla is Pogi. Napoles invokes her
right against self-incrimination.
READ: Miriam warns Napoles: Don't lie, don't always invoke right vs. self-
incrimination

12:31 p.m.: Santiago continues to grill Napoles and the latter continues to deny
allegations. "Anong alam mo? Naka-deadma ka sa akin." Santiago says.

12:40 p.m.: Santiago tells Napoles it is very important "na hindi ikaw ang pinaka-
most guilty." She says if Napoles will be found most guilty, she may be sentenced
to 20-40 years, "isang disgrasya para sa isang babae... Inaamin mo ba na ikaw ang
most guilty?" she asks Napoles, who replies "Hindi po."

12:43 p.m.: Santiago advises Napoles to tell everything: "Habang buhay ka pa,
nasa panganib ang mga senador na mawala lahat ng kayamanan nila. Pero ngayon
pa lang (kung sasabihin mo lahat), wala na silang motibo na patayin ka nila kasi
nasa dokumento na (ang sasabihin mo). These people are murderers. Ngayon pa
lang sabihin mo. Sino ang pinaka-guilty?"

12:44 p.m.: "Hindi ko po alam," Napoles says. Santiago says, "'Di mo alam? Ako
alam ko."

12:47 p.m.: "Kung si Enrile ang most guilty, sabihin mo na para 'di ka niya
ipapatay," Santiago tells Napoles. "'Wag mong i-underestimate si Enrile na 'yan.
May asim pa rin si Tanda."

READ: Santiago tries to lure Napoles to spill the beans

12:52 p.m.: Napoles tells Santiago she has been trading in international carbon
credits.

12:55 p.m.: Santiago asks Napoles about her ties with a Quiapo priest. Napoles
says yes. Miriam says: "Siguro tinuruan ka ng pari about the 10 commanments...Isa
dun ay 'wag kang magnakaw. Bakit ka nagnakaw?"

1:00 p.m.: Santiago asks Napoles, "Sinong PRO (press relations officer) mo?
Nagbabayad ka ba ng mga tao na mag-iikot sa media...?" Napoles says "...Wala po
akong alam diyan."

1:08 p.m.: Miriam asks Napoles about her shipyard business in Cebu that began in
the early 1990s. "Saan mo nakuha ang expertise sa business na 'yun?" the senator
asks. Napoles is not able to answer the question as the lady Senator poses another
question.

1:11 p.m.: Santiago asks Napoles when and how she began to be rich. Napoles
invokes her right against self-incrimination.

1:15 p.m.: Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano asks Napoles if she is guilty of the PDAF
scam. Napoles says she is innocent, but the last syllable could not be heard on the
microphone. Napoles adds, "Pasensiya na po kayo. Nahihilo na po ako kasi
diabetic ako, past 1 p.m. na."

1:17 p.m.: Hearing is suspended. Committee takes a break for lunch.

past 2 p.m.: Hearing resumes. Cayetano asks Napoles what she expects from everything. Is she expecting that she
will absolved from the charges? Napoles replies, "Opo." Cayetano then asks if she has dealings with the government. Napoles says,
"Wala," then invokes right against self-incrimination.

2:25 p.m.: Cayetano asks about Napoles' dealings regarding the fertilizer fund. He reminds Napoles when she may invoke the right
against self-incrimination. He shows Napoles two documents regarding fertilizer procurement with her supposed signature. Napoles
denies her signatures are on the documents shown.

2:27 p.m.: Napoles is asked by Cayetano when she started dealing with the
goverment–is it before 2001? Napoles says she cannot remember. She does say
that she started doing business in the 80s.

–With Luis Gorgonio, GMA News

Tags: Bantay Kaban