Senator Teofisto Guingona III, chairperson of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, has asked Senate President Franklin Drilon to reconsider h
is decision not to sign the subpoena calling for Janet Lim Napoles to testify before the Senate.
Sen. Drilon had refused to issue the subpoena on Napoles, saying he gave way to the Ombudsman and the rules of her office in relation to the cases presented against the Filipino businesswoman.
Sen. Guingona, upon resumption of the hearing for Napoles’ alleged misuse of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocations sent to her various bogus non-government organizations, said he sent a letter to Sen. Drilon urging the latter to sign the summons.
“Napoles should be present here now to answer the accusations against her but the subpoena was not signed,” he said in the local language.
In his letter, Sen. Guingona told Sen. Drilon, “We urge you to reconsider your decision not to approve a subpoena issued to Janet Lim Napoles.”
Sen. Guingona cited Sen. Drilon’s approval for the subpoena issued to whistleblowers in the pork barrel scam, saying that Napoles was not to be treated differently from them.
“No logical and legal reason exists why caution, timing, and prudence are now being use to prevent Janet Lim-Napoles from attending the hearings of the Senate blue ribbon committee,” he said in the letter.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales had earler advised Sen. Drilon against issuing the subpoena, stating that rules in her office prevent testimony which could publicly damage the case against all accused.
Former Chief Justice Renato Puno refuted the ombudsman’s statement in a text message to media.
“An administrative rule can never negate a constitutional grant of power,” he said.
“Hence, this constitutional right to investigate in aid of legislation cannot be defeated nor diminished by any confidentiality rule which is only found in the Rules of Procedure of the Office of the Ombudsman,” he added.
(with reports from The Manila Bulletin and The Philippine Star)