MALACAÑANG welcomed Friday the plan of Senator Francis Escudero to seek a fresh Senate inquiry into the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam after Janet Napoles, the alleged brains behind the scam, offered to turn herself into a state witness.
"The plan to conduct a new Senate investigation into the pork barrel scam involving Janet Lim-Napoles is the prerogative of our lawmakers," Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.
Escudero on Thursday mulled the possibility that he would push for an inquiry to hold accountable officials who benefitted from the scam involving the lawmakers' Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II earlier said Napoles, who was recently acquitted by the Court of Appeals from the serious illegal detention of her second cousin, is a key witness to resolve the case.
Abella said President Rodrigo Duterte also wants to revisit the PDAF scam to finally uncover the truth and hold those involved accountable.
"The Filipino people deserve to know the truth in this case, not the slanted truth nor the doctored truth," he added.
Last Wednesday, the President said he believed that Napoles is just a "minimal player" on the PDAF scam.
Napoles has been acquitted of serious illegal detention of Benhur Luy, the whistleblower in the pork barrel scam, but is still detained at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City due to plunder, graft and direct bribery charges filed against her before the Sandiganbayan.
Lawyer Stephen David said Napoles is willing to cooperate with the government in the review of the PDAF anomaly as long as she would be placed under the witness protection program. (SunStar Philippines)