The Whole Truth

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Entry # 27




The Senate Blue Ribbon hearing has turned into a significant reality TV spectacle that I've been following since it all began. Unlike television reality shows, this one actually has a profound impact on our lives. Every single Filipino, from wealthy businessmen to children buying candy, is a victim of this scandal. We have all contributed to the funds that these individuals allegedly stole. It's crucial for us to closely observe as more information about this issue is revealed and the government formulates strategies to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Yesterday's hearing was particularly noteworthy because Janet Lim-Napoles, the so-called mastermind behind the Pork Barrel Scam, finally appeared before the Senate for questioning. This individual lost her lawyer (Capunan, who resigned), and the Public Attorney's Office had to provide her with legal representation. In fact, they assigned four lawyers to her, which is utterly unfair. Public attorneys are meant to serve the poor, not money-hungry individuals like Napoles. It must be a miserable situation for those lawyers right now. Imagine defending someone you despise, but it's your obligation to do so. Eventually, the people who hate Napoles will also direct their disdain toward them.

Napoles requested an exclusive session, well aware of what a difficult person she is. However, her request was denied, and the hearing proceeded as planned.

The whole purpose of Napoles being there was to reveal the truth about what really happened. However, it comes as no surprise that she didn't provide any particularly useful information. She kept denying the accusations, claiming ignorance, or invoking her right against self-incrimination. If that was all she was going to say, the Senate could have simply placed a life-sized photo of Napoles with three interchangeable speech bubbles instead of wasting a considerable amount of money on her protection.

The entire affair was becoming tedious, but then Defensor-Santiago began to question her. That senator must be the funniest, bravest, and most intellectually formidable figure in the Philippines today. If she had children, they would probably feel overwhelmed by the immense pressure of living up to her expectations. Oh, wait...


The Senate hearing failed to extract any direct admissions from Napoles. Throughout the entire proceeding, I believe she never uttered a single truthful statement. However, she inadvertently revealed the truth to us. We didn't need her words to know that she was undoubtedly guilty. Even if she refuses to confess the full extent of the lawmakers' involvement in this issue, we will find alternative avenues to uncover the truth.

The truth has a remarkable way of emerging, regardless of attempts to conceal it.

Photo Credit: http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/5dPxHpySBJ4IUXZqmT10.Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MTIwMDtjcj0xO2N3PTE4MDA7ZHg9MDtkeT0wO2ZpPXVsY3JvcDtoPTQyMDtxPTg1O3c9NjMw/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/news/2013-11-06/064e5704-25d3-4e67-8466-09e29294381f_20131107_NPPA-VFD_00073905.JPG http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/FQMnSw8pC3cIW5mUgyc_Nw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MTIwMDtjcj0xO2N3PTE4MDA7ZHg9MDtkeT0wO2ZpPXVsY3JvcDtoPTQyMDtxPTg1O3c9NjMw/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/news/2013-11-06/2d6c7ccc-55ab-4126-96da-298187c3eaa7_20131107_NPPA-VFD_00074185.JPG

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