IT’S HER SHOW: Pork barrel megastar Janet Lim Napoles, if she wants, could gain virtual control of the super production scheduled to reel off this morning at the Senate.

She alone will decide what she will or will not divulge when she testifies before the Blue Ribbon committee looking into the pork barrel scam in aid of sure publicity and possible legislation.

As Ma’am Janet testifies, Metro Manila denizens can expect traffic to be almost as light as when pambansang kamao Manny Pacquiao has a televised fight scheduled. Most people will be glued to their TV sets to follow the Napoles Thrilla blow-by-blow. The crime clock will stop as cops and robbers alike will take a break to watch the show.

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BOMB OR DUD?: Only Napoles knows how she will respond to the questions that senators, dressed to kill for the gala show, will fire at her.

Napoles, not the Senate, will decide if she wants to answer any question. The 50-year-old matron can always forget details. She can also remember to invoke her right be remain silent in the absence of a counsel of her choice.

Or — she may decide to drop a bombshell and start naming names to the applause of the public. All you former associates of Ma’am Janet in the chamber and by the Pasig better not provoke her.

Cock your ears. Do not blink. Catch how Janet and Frank, aka Senate President Franklin M. Drilon, will greet each other when they meet again with the whole world watching.

There is no word yet if senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Bong Revilla, her co-defendants in a pork plunder complaint, will attend. The third accused senator, Jinggoy Estrada, is in the United States.

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REJOINDER: The Senate President, btw, responded the other day to my Nov. 5 Postscript titled “It’s back to the scene of the crime for Drilon.” (Review it at: http://manilamail.com/archive/2013nov/13nov05/)

In an email, Drilon affirmed his and the Senate’s determination “to abolish the PDAF in response to the clamor of the people,” starting with the 2014 national budget. (Sorry, he did not say anything about presidential pork.)

Before the year ends, we will see how firm is their determination. Drilon’s letter, untouched, follows:

“First of all, the title of the commentary leaves the reader with the false impression that I deliberately stifled discussion and debate on Lacson’s privilege speech of March 11, 2003, where he called for the abolition of the pork barrel system.

“The truth of the matter is that as the Senate President at the time, I banged the gavel and adjourned the session because no one among the senators wanted to interpellate Sen. Lacson as they had to attend a bicam committee hearing on the budget. That’s all there is to it, and the minutes of the Senate on this particular meeting will bear me out.

“To say therefore that I missed ‘the chance to slay the pork barrel dragon but did not do what duty and decency dictated’ and that I will be returning to the ‘scene of the crime’ is grossly unfair and has no basis in fact.

“In fact, in 2005, I did no utilize my pork barrel allocation along with other senators who did not see eye to eye with the Arroyo administration on governance issues.

“Let me reiterate that I am in favor of abolishing the pork barrel system. I said as much immediately after news of the pork barrel scam involving Janet Lim Napoles using bogus NGOs hit the headlines.

“The immediate and unconditional abolition of the pork barrel system is part of the reforms that I am spearheading in the Senate. We are determined to abolish the PDAF in response to the clamor of the people, starting with the enactment of the proposed 2014 national budget.

“It is on record that I have filed a bill calling for more transparency in the budget process. I encouraged civil society groups to scrutinize the proposed national budget to see whether it responds to actual needs and meets the standards of transparency and accountability.

“While at this, let me make it very clear that I can account for every centavo of my PDAF allocations. These are all in DBM records. I have not channeled any funds to bogus NGOs or ghost projects.

“The bulk of my pork barrel allocations went to a school building program that has significantly helped bridge the classroom shortage in the country. I have also used my PDAF for indigent medical assistance programs through the Philippine General Hospital, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute and the Heart Center.

“At the same time, we will take concrete steps to address corruption and see to it that no similar incident will ever happen again. The Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Nov. 7 where Napoles has been subpoenaed to appear is the first step along this direction.

“The abolition of PDAF will assure the public of the government’s serious commitment and sincere efforts to put in place reforms aimed at fiscal transparency and accountability.

“I can assure our people that there will be no whitewash in the pork barrel scam probe and that we in the Senate will see to it that those who are proven to have misused PDAF funds will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

“The misuse of pork barrel is corruption punishable under our laws. Those implicated in the pork barrel scam will have to face the justice system that punishes the guilty and acquits the innocent.

“For as long as I am Senate President, I will never shield corrupt officials from being punished and I will ensure the speedy and unhampered administration of justice.”

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