The daughter of the woman at the center of a P10-billion congressional pork barrel scandal could actually be sitting in Congress next week.
An internal conflict roiling the OFW Family Club (OFWFC) party-list group could benefit
Jo Christine Napoles, the eldest of four children of Janet Lim-Napoles, president and CEO of JLN Corp., the company allegedly behind the fraudulent use of legislators鈥� pork barrel funds for ghost projects.
JLN Corp. was in fact originally named Jo-Chris Trading after the Napoles eldest daughter.
The younger Napoles is the OFWFC president for Metro Manila and potential third nominee of the party-list group, an organization that provides assistance to distressed overseas Filipino workers which won two seats in the party-list elections last May.
If a petition to invalidate the proclamation of the group鈥檚 second nominee, sometime actor Johnny Revilla, succeeds, it will put Napoles in the 16th Congress.
The prospect alarms the principal whistle-blower of the P10-billion scam, who said that Jo Christine is very much involved in JLN鈥檚 operations as the company鈥檚 chief finance officer.
鈥淪he would have all the access and the power once she gets into the House of Representatives,鈥� he said.
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Ineligible as US citizen
The question of who should occupy the OFWFC鈥檚 second House seat arose after a longtime member, Eduardo Morales, filed a petition seeking to invalidate the proclamation of the group鈥檚 second nominee, Revilla.
In a July 8 petition, Morales said Revilla was 鈥渋neligible for the position鈥� allegedly because 鈥渉e is not a natural-born Filipino citizen as required by the Constitution.鈥�
He also asked the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal to declare the OFWFC鈥檚 second seat 鈥渧acant鈥� and allow the third nominee to take Revilla鈥檚 place.
The disqualification of Revilla would have benefited a son of former Ambassador Roy Se帽eres Sr., the founder and president of the OFWFC who is now a House member, being the group鈥檚 first nominee.
3rd nominee declines
However, Se帽eres鈥� son and namesake, the OFWFC鈥檚 third nominee, 鈥渄eclined to replace Johnny Revilla to avoid any criticism about political dynasticism,鈥� according to the group鈥檚 May 27 resolution that expelled Revilla from the party.
鈥淚t won鈥檛 look good if he would have a junior and senior prom in Congress,鈥� the older Se帽eres said on Saturday.
In line to replace the younger Se帽eres as the OFWFC鈥檚 third nominee is Jo Christine Napoles, the group鈥檚 president for Metro Manila.
鈥楾rial by publicity鈥�
Reached by phone, Revilla on Saturday said he was a victim of 鈥渢rial by publicity鈥� and was still 鈥渨eighing my options.鈥�
鈥淚 renounced my American citizenship prior to [the filing of] our certificate of candidacy,鈥� he later said in a text message. He said he was born at UST Hospital to parents Jose Revilla (the late actor Armando Goyena) and Paquita Roces.
In his petition, Morales argued that Revilla remains a US citizen, alleging that he 鈥渘ever took an oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines, much less executed a personal and sworn renunciation thereof, which makes him ineligible for the position.鈥�
鈥淸Revilla] continuously processes the status of being an American citizen since in the first place, he never expressly renounced his foreign citizenship,鈥� Morales said.
Attached to the Morales petition was a copy of Revilla鈥檚 United States 鈥減assport.鈥� Morales said it was 鈥渁n ostensible proof that respondent never relinquished his foreign citizenship.鈥�
Also 鈥渕anifestly indicated鈥� in Revilla鈥檚 travel information was that he 鈥渞emains to be a US citizen,鈥� he said.
Other issues
In the OFWFC resolution, the Se帽eres group said it had 鈥渙btained a document from the Bureau of Immigration which shows that starting 2002 up to 2009, Revilla was using a US passport in his travels overseas.鈥�
The group said it 鈥渃annot be a party to a culpable violation of the Constitution which prohibits a foreigner to run for public office in the Philippines.鈥�
The OFWFC had other issues besides citizenship against Revilla. It said he 鈥渄id not actively participate in the campaign and was absent during [the] majority of the important meetings of the national executive committee.鈥�
Se帽eres said he had been informed of Revilla鈥檚 dual citizenship in the middle of the campaign and had told the latter to sort out the matter. But Revilla never got back to him and showed up only after the group won the two House seats, he said.
鈥淚n all honesty, I really didn鈥檛 know that he was a dual citizen,鈥� he said.