Napoles 'shocked', denies offer to return P200M loot
  • 5 years ago
MANILA - The camp of Janet Lim Napoles denied Wednesday making an offer to return P100 million to P200 million to the government in exchange for immunity from charges. Speaking to ABS-CBNnews.com, Napoles spokesman Bruce Rivera said Mrs. Napoles is "shocked" that lawyer Stephen David would say that the businesswoman only had P2 billion in transactions with lawmakers in the pork barrel scam. A GMA-7 report earlier quoted David as saying that Napoles got P100 million to P200 million in commissions. "We are shocked by the statements of Attorney David. We don't know what his motives are but the statements did not come from Mrs. Napoles. Any statement coming from Mrs. Napoles should pass through me," Rivera said. "Where are we going to get that P100 million? All her assets are frozen. We can't even pay the hospital bill," he added. Rivera said Mrs. Napoles has been very careful about revealing any amounts that she supposedly earned from the scheme. The spokesman said that after David's interview with GMA-7, he talked to the Napoles family who all said that they do not know where David came up with the amount. "If you look at Mrs. Napoles' affidavits, there is no mention of the amount she earned. I don't know where the P2 billion figure or the P100 million to P200 million figures are coming from," Rivera said. Napoles is accused of conniving with lawmakers and government officials to funnel billions of pesos in priority development assistance funds to non-government organizations that she set up. A Commission on Audit report earlier said more than P2 billion in PDAF was funneled to Napoles NGOs from 2007-2009. The businesswoman has denied masterminding the scheme, saying she is also a victim in the scam. She is also asking for immunity from suit in exchange for her testimony in the pork barrel and Malampaya fund scams. Malacanang earlier steered clear of a reported offer from Napoles to return the money she got in the pork barrel scam. Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said only the Ombudsman has the authority to weigh the offer and make the necessary recommendation to the Sandiganbayan. "It is only the Office of the Ombudsman that is clothed with the authority to recommend to the Sandiganbayan any action on matters like what you have just mentioned; and we respect the independence of the Office of the Ombudsman," he said. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano expressed doubt about the veracity of Napoles' offer to return the money. He said he does not know if Napoles' supposed earnings include her properties in the US, her club shares and cars. He said even pork scam whistle-blower Benhur Luy described Napoles as stingy and would try to put one over on their clients. "I remember him saying that Napoles would try to impose VAT on the commissions...It is not in her nature to tell the truth and reveal the right amount," he said. He also pointed out that if Napoles is telling the truth, then lawmakers could have gotten as much as P6 billion in pork barrel. "If she has P2 billion and she only got 20 percent of the pork barrel and 50 percent went to the legislators and she is telling the truth, that mans there is P6 billion with public officials," he told radio DZMM.