Sunday, December 08, 2013
Blog Co-Author
Miriam grills Napoles, steals limelight at hearing
MANILA (UPDATED) - Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago advised businesswoman Janet Napoles to spill the beans on the lawmakers in the pork scam or risk being killed.
In the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on Thursday, Santiago grilled Napoles for around an hour and tried to go through the secretive stance of Napoles by suggesting she become state witness by telling who the most guilty is.
“Tuturuan kita, sabihin mo na lahat ng gusto mong sabihin, para di ka na ipapatay,” she said.
Santiago added: “They’re planning your murder.”
Sensing Napoles would still invoke her right against self-incrimination, Santiago later asked if Senator Juan Ponce Enrile was the most guilty. Napoles answered, “hindi ko alam.”
“Ows? Hindi mo alam? Ako, alam ko e. Dahil napakalawak ng sakop nya e, empire nya e,” Santiago said.
She alleged that Enrile is so powerful that he goes to the comfort room with guards around him holding firearms.
She told Napoles not to underestimate Enrile. “May asim pa si Tanda.”
Santiago also threatened Napoles with years in detention if she remains the most guilty.
“It is very important, Mrs. Napoles…Napakahalaga na ikaw ang hindi the most guilty. Wala pa naman silang naimbentong cream that will take 20-40 years off their face,” she said.
“Kaya kung ayaw mong aminin ikaw most guilty, dapat lang ngayon mo nang sabihin sino most guilty. Ang tao nyang nakikinig sa atin, di yan nagpapakita. Napakaraming pera. Sisiraan ako. Ikaw. Sabihin mo na ngayon para di ka nya ipapatay,” she said.
Self-incrimination
Before taking the floor, Santiago assured Napoles she would not bully her.
Santiago later explained to Napoles that she can invoke her right against self-incrimination, but warned her that this will not bode well with the public.
“Hindi naman puwede Mrs. Napoles na lahat na lang tatanggihan mo at sasabihing mong baka masangkot ako. May mga regulasyon iyan eh.To apply the privilege against self-incrimination, this is the standard, the test, the guideline: we ask whether the claimant is confronted by substantial and real and not merely trifling or imaginary hazards of incrimination,” she said.
Santiago rightly forecast that Napoles would be invoking this right.
“May alam ka pero ayaw mo ipahiwatig sa amin. Maaaring sa tingin mo hindi ka nga masasangkot pero kami, hindi kami ang hukom mo. Our jury, under the American system, iba ang hukom. The jury finds out the facts. So our jury is the entire Filipino public watching nationwide TV telecast live. Ano kayang iisipin ng publiko kung ganyan ang sagot mo?”
Tanda, Sexy, Pogi
“Kilala mo ba si Tanda?” asked Santiago, to which Napoles immediately answered, “I invoke my right to self-incrimination.”
“Sabi ng mga testigo laban sayo na dating empleyado mo, tinatawag mo si Enrile na dating si Tanda. Sino pa bang matanda dito kundi si Enrile? Sabi niya 89 years old na siya. Baka 99 siya or baka 109 na siya dahil kung minsan may dementia na yata lalo na kung tungkol sa akin. Ngayon, di natural lang na ganun din ang sagot mo siguro,” the senator said.
“Kilala mo ba si Sexy?” Santiago asked again, and Napoles again invoked her rights. “Ano’ng hindi mo alam? Alam mo e,” Santiago said.
“Si Pogi?” asked the senator. Napoles answered, “I invoke my right.”
For at least an hour, the same answer was obtained from Napoles, and later on, it was Santiago who was already offering answers and shooting allegations.
Napoles admitted to having as lawyer, Rene Villa, the incumbent Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) chairman. The businesswoman said Villa handled her financial transactions in connection with her coal business in Indonesia and carbon credit trading in the United States.
“International personality ka [Villa] pala,” Santiago responded. She said she checked Villa’s biodata and noted “an unparalleled mediocrity.”
She said she has never known Villa as an international trade lawyer. “He worked in Kuwait, etc. In other words, he’s just an OFW, masquerading as an international lawyer.”
Santiago also asked Napoles if she knows a lot of press relations officers. Napoles said she does not.
A news report earlier alleged Brian Yamsuan, a former consultant of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, was the one who brokered Napoles’ interview with the editors and reporters of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “Yung asawa [Cathy Yamsuan] nya [Brian], kaibigan ng kaibigan ko,” she said. She identified her friend as Louie Cruz.
“These PR men are trying to convince columnists to concentrate on the DAP [Disbursement Acceleration Program] so that the people will forget the PDAF [Priority Development Assistance Fund]. Kayo ba ang nagbabayad sa kanila?” Santiago asked, identifying another PR man as Jimmy Policarpio.
“Wala ako PR man. Wala ako kinalaman diyan,” Napoles said.
Why did you get rich?
Napoles hemmed and hawed when Santiago asked about how she was able to get rich quick despite not going to college. Napoles said, “I invoke my right. There is already a case at the Ombudsman.”
“Ilan ang bahay mo?” Santiago asked. She answered, “I only have three.”
“Do you have 30 vehicles?” the senator asked. Napoles said, “Hindi po. I have seven.”
“Do you have 415 accounts with 17 different banks?”
“I invoke my right, pero hindi po ganoon karami.”
“You claim to be a Catholic, do you know the ten commandments? That you should not steal?” Santiago asked. Napoles did not answer.
“That you should not tell a lie? Ngayon pa lang, nagsisinungaling ka na e,” Santiago said.
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