CALIFORNIA - While the Filipino community was holding a despedida for Los Angeles Deputy Consul General Dan Espiritu, many eyes were glued on to the television watching a bulletproof vest clad Janet Lim Napoles appear for her Senate hearing.
"She's guilty, guilty as hell," said Perla Avestro.
Los Angeles Filipinos have had a high interest in this case with the Napoles clan owning several properties and bank accounts in Southern California.
"She's very pitiful but she deserves it because she's facing the whistleblowers who are saying she's lying and her only defense is they are lying," said Arturo Garcia of the US Action Against Pork.
It started with a delay after she met with her public defendants. Napoles denied setting up the bogus nongovernment organizations where the lawmakers Priority Development Assistance Fund were funneled into. The whistleblowers meanwhile denied her denials.
"It's not punitive. It's just investigative. So it's basically a way to grandstand. So everyone is grandstanding except those who are accused. That's why those people who are excused like Enrile, Revilla, and Estrada do not present themselves. They just use their proxies," said Garcia.
As lawmakers took turns grilling the alleged pork barrel mastermind, one lawmaker linked to the scandal was not part of the hearing: Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who was in Northern California seeking medical treatment for his wife.
Filipinos had a mixed reaction on Estrada's absence.
"He said I want to have a face-to-face with her. But now, where is he?" Garcia asked.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
