'Napoles executive session request should've been granted' (Sabong News)
Author
Camille Diola
Date
NOVEMBER 07 2013
MANILA, Philippines - An executive session with Janet Lim Napoles would have yielded better results for the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's pork barrel scam investigation, lawyer Theodore Te said Thursday.
Te, who heads the Supreme Court's public information office, posted on his personal Twitter account that Napoles would have been obliged to answer questions on the pork barrel scam in an executive session.
"Executive session should have been granted; [Napoles] would then have no excuse to not answer questions truthfully or deny other whistleblowers' statements," he said.
At the start of the Senate hearing on Thursday, Napoles requested the body, through her public attorneys, if she could be questioned in a closed-door session. The Senate panel denied her request.
"After the executive session, senators could then have excused her then reported what was said in the summary. No self-incrimination excuse," Te said, referring to Napoles' repeated invocation of her right against self incrimination.
Similarly, Te maintained that a confrontation between Napoles and the pork barrel scam whistleblowers will not help the government to get to the bottom of the fund mess.
"I know what the good Senator wants; it is what I and the public want. But let’s face it, this 'sabong' isn’t the way to get it," Te said, as Senator Teofisto Guingona III questions Napoles.
The lawyer, along with other netizens tuning in to broadcasts of the hearing, went on a commenting spree while the cross-examination was ongoing. He said Napoles' answers in the probe will not affect the impending plunder case before the Office of the Ombudsman.
"The committee is not a court and is not expected or mandated to weigh evidence or test credibility," Te posted, adding that the Senate's role in the issue is only, technically, "in aid of legislation."
Te also shared his views on how to question a witness.
"The good senator is losing the battle to keep the disbelief out of his voice. Best argument for the executive session," he said.
He said those grilling a witness should "lead the witness" instead of asking questions, which the witness may just skirt around.
Te
