Palace on PNoy & Jeane Napoles photo: “No big deal”

A photo of Pres. Benigno Aquino III with Jeane Napoles, daughter of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. Screenshot from Jeane Napoles’ (now defunct) Instagram account.

Recently, a photo of President Benigno Aquino III with Jeane Napoles started circulating online and garnering thousands of reactions of varying intensities.

Jeane Napoles is the 23-year-old daughter of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

The photo, posted on the yougest Napoles’ instagram account, soon raised questions if PNoy knows the Napoleses before the all the ugliness of the pork barrel scam came to the limelight.

Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang said that the president was indeed in the same function with Jeane Napoles, and perhaps even wife and husband Janet and Jimmy Napoles.

The function was a thanksgiving mass for the canonization of Saint Pedro Calungsod held in Cebu City on November 30, 2012.

Carandang said that the president was not bothered by the photo, citing that it’s not a surprise that people — famous or not, rich or poor — line up to have a photo op with the president.

“There were hundreds of people there,” Carandang said. “It’s no big deal… At that event, at least a dozen people had their pictures taken (with the president),” he added.

Carandang even said that the release of the photo was suspicious and could be considered as a diversionary tactic to divert the attention from the people who are really involved in the pork barrel scam.

“It seems that way. Well, biglang lalabas iyong picture at a time when the President says we are going to be filing charges. The timing is suspicious,” Carandang said.

To erase any doubts of the president’s association with the Napoleses, the Palace released 24 other photos on Thursday taken on the same event.

“We checked (the archives) and saw a picture with Jeane and the President,” Carandang said.

“I understand the photo was taken at an event last November in Cebu. She had her photo taken with the President, as did a dozen other people who lined up to have their photo taken with him,” said deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte.

With reports from Aurea Calica and Michael Lim Ubac