Cayateno: Napoles backed by powerful people to muddle, prolong investigation

Senate Majority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano. Photo courtesy of Cayetano’s Facebook page.

MANILA — After Janet Lim-Napoles’ controversial statements saying she is not the ‘guiltiest’ in the scam, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said Napoles is backed by powerful people to confuse and prolong the pork barrel scam investigation.

“She passes herself off as a legitimate businesswoman who was victimized by politicians dahil tinuruan siya at akala niya ganun, (because she was taught that way and she thinks it works that way),” Cayateno said speaking to ANC’s Headstart.

Cayetano critizes Napoles’ alleged tell-all affidavit submitted to the Department of Justice saying that “it is tell-all but it is ‘tell all lies’ not tell all truth.”

In the affidavit submitted to DOJ, Napoles claimed that she donated money to Cayetano for the 2013 elections adding that his uncle, Tito Boy, was Cayetano’s agent when the senator was still a member of the House of Representatives.

Cayetano said that these claims are vague and that it was impossible for him to accept money from Napoles as they never had any transactions in the past.

“I don’t have a relative named VLL or Tito Boy. The point is – I never dealt with her. There is no SARO number. No details,” he said.

Not the President

While he was sure that there are powerful people backing Napoles, Cayetano said he doubts that it is the President.

“I don’t think it is Malacanang or the President per se but definitely, I am 100 percent sure, that there are powerful people, names behind her because this would not happen without that,” he said.

Cayetano said that Napoles knew that the justice system in the country is “messed up” and that it is favorable for Napoles that the case would go on until 2016.

He also added that Napoles’ mere act of submitting an affidavit serves as hint that someone is talking to the businesswoman adding that before witnesses offers affidavit, there must first be an assurance of immunity.

“Mrs. Napoles is obviously talking to someone who is giving a guarantee that she will be given immunity. You never write an affidavit and then ask for immunity. You will deal with the immunity offer first before you give an affidavit,” he said.

It was earlier reported that Napoles appealed to the public to stop naming her as the “mastermind” of the scam, passing the blame on lawmakers.

“I am not capable to do such a complicated scheme to be the mastermind of all these,” Napoles said adding that “it was the lawmakers who controlled their funds and the implementing agencies that processed the papers and inspected [projects] before paying for all the transactions.”

A Commission on Audit report indicated that more than P2 billion in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) went to Napoles’ nongovernment organizations (NGOs) from 2007-2009.

Napoles was then accused of masterminding an intricate scam where lawmakers and officials of implementing agencies re-channel billions of PDAF funds to bogus NGOs.

With reports from ABS-CBN News