Duterte says up to Aguirre to handle Napoles witness protection petition

March 22, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte said he was not meddling in the action being taken by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II in the petition of suspected pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim Napoles to be placed under the Witness Protection Program.

In a speech before his supporters in Pasay City on Wednesday night, Duterte said it has been his policy not to interfere in the work of his Cabinet officials.

"I'm giving them a free hand...Vit Aguirre, I said, 'Why was he dragged again here with Napoles? That's his strategy," he said.

Aguirre has admitted that he wants Napoles to be placed under WPP so she could tell everything she knew about the alleged misuse of multi-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund during the previous administrations.

Napoles, who is facing plunder charges, has been under provisional admission in the WPP.

Aguirre has said his office would determine if what Napoles has promised to tell has probative value.

Some quarters, including those from the opposition, have been criticizing the DOJ for its move to place Napoles in WPP.

The opposition has accused that the Duterte administration would just use Napoles to pin down the President's critics. Celerina Monte/DMS