Swindler’s list

NOW THE shoe is on the other foot.

After executing a tell-all affidavit complete with the list of names of those supposedly involved in the pork barrel scam, Janet Lim Napoles have seemed to have taken the chair from under those lawmakers investigating the scam. Now, everyone—well, mostly everyone—is now being accused of involvement in the scam. How this saga degenerated into a battle of “lists” is a source of amazement. And we cannot help but wonder if this is the work of savvy and cunning individuals to confuse the public and put doubts on the integrity of those investigating the scam.

The problem with the situation now is Ms. Napoles seems to have taken the front seat in the issue. Now it seems, it is her who has become credible and trustworthy. She now even has the gall to ask for immunity for her to “tell all”. And as it all pans out, we now no longer need to wonder how Ms. Napoles almost got away with the scam—with ruthless cunning and the uncanny ability to turn the tables on those who are going after her.

With her new “expanded” list and with her claim that she is not the mastermind of the pork barrel scam, Ms. Napoles now seems to be calling the shots—the same way she was calling the shots in her alleged merry way of fleecing taxpayers’ money for her and her family’s lavish lifestyle. She has managed to put those who are probing her under the spotlight; thrusting them into a path of doubts and double standards.

But as in any other graft and corruption cases, there should be a paper trail which the investigators need to follow to really get to the truth of what really happened and who are really involved. Yet in this day and age of social media, Ms. Napoles’ “list” has indeed managed to muddle the issue and throw the proverbial monkey wrench into the investigation.

Her claim of Budget Sec. Florencio “Butch” Abad as her mentor has also wrong-footed the  Aquino administration as it casts profound doubts on whether they were really sincere in their “tuwid na daan” motto or are just trying to cover up for their own people.

Whatever happens now, we are nowhere near the resolution of this issue. As it is, it has set the probers farther away from the truth. Yet this should not stop all of us from demanding the truth. Neither should we be hoodwinked into letting Ms. Napoles off the hook with her obfuscation of the issue just to save her skin.

As a once popular TV series said: “The truth is out there.” And we only need to find it to get to the bottom of the issue and to give Ms. Napoles and whoever really were with her in this scam their just dessert.