Miriam: Napoles 'empire' impossible

MANILA - Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago believes there is a more guilty group of people behind the P10 billion pork barrel scam. "Ang most guilty diyan is the group of public officials either of senators or Cabinet members or both na sila talaga ang kernel. Hindi yan maglalakas loob kung wala siayng protection," she said. Speaking to reporters, Santiago said alleged pork scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles is frightened for her life after being brought to testify in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing. She said she believes Napoles has been coached before she faced the senators. "She's a frightened person. She's generally frightened for her life. Number 2, she is confused. Should she stay loyal [to] her politician best friends forever or should she save her own neck by squealing against them thus qualifying herself as a state witness?" The senator said she believes there is someone else who is the most guilty in the scam especially since a person like Napoles, who did not finish college, could run an "empire" involving senators, congressmen and government officials. "It is not possible that a woman like her, no matter how talented, no matter how invested with native intelligence could possibly have built up an empire consisting of senators, Cabinet members and representatives in such a short time. She started from poverty, she admits it. She has not even finished college and yet she could deal not only with these local maharajas but also with foreign businessmen. Sa Tagalog - ang lakas ng loob niya," she said. "Wala naman siyang connection na bigla siyang yayaman na ganun. Hindi man lang nakapasok ng college. Saan niya nakuha ang talino na yan? Hindi mo makukuha yan sa sipag. Saan niya nakausap yung sa Korea, Indonesia? Bigla na lang naging foreign investor," she added. Santiago said she is urging Napoles to tell everything about the scam because of the constant threats to her life. She said perpetuating the Napoles testimony would mean that her version of the story behind the scam will no longer be reversible. "I think she does not fully understand in legal terms the consequences of her actions. She thinks she can deal. She thinks in terms of cutting a deal, negotiating a transaction transacting a business. She does not have a grasp of the abstract concept of the rule of law. She does not have a clue of the rule of law," she said. ANC, November 7, 2013