MANILA - Malacañang on Tuesday said businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, the alleged mastermind in the multibillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund scam, must be allowed to speak out so that the “whole truth” would come out.

“Janet Lim Napoles is the central figure in this scam. Let her speak, and I’m sure that in addition to what she has to say, she would have physical evidence to back up whatever it is that she alleges,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a news conference.

Roque said this after Napoles claimed that she gave a campaign donation worth P5 million to Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, an opposition lawmaker.

Drilon has denied Napoles’ claim and branded it as harassment.

Napoles is facing multiple plunder and graft charges in connection with the scam, which saw billions worth of congressional discretionary funds funneled to non-existent projects by bogus non-government organizations owned by the businesswoman.

Napoles had earlier come out with her own list of lawmakers and other individuals she accused of being involved in the scam, but only selected personalities have been indicted.

Critics of former President Benigno Aquino III had said there was "selective justice" in the handling of the pork barrel scam cases during his term, as lawmakers deemed unfriendly to his administration were the only ones indicted.

Roque said Napoles’ claim is something that the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman must look into since "we want the whole truth and nothing but the truth to come out of this PDAF scam."

“This is information which, for the first time, was revealed by Janet Lim Napoles. And I think, the Constitution, in providing for accountability of public officers, is the legal basis for the relevant government agency to conduct an investigation,” Roque said.

“I would hope that the Ombudsman on its own would conduct its probe. And I think the DOJ also on its own should also conduct its own probe.”

In a radio interview, Roque said certain individuals have to be prosecuted if the pieces of evidence that Napoles comes up with are deemed sufficient, adding that this should not give the impression that the administration is cracking down on opposition figures.

“Kung sapat ito, panahon na para sa pananagutan para sa lahat. At kapag ito ay nangyari, huwag namang sabihing inaatake na naman ang oposisyon. At kagaya ng aking sinabi, sino bang unang nambato? Nanahimik ang Presidente, nanunungkulan, kung gusto nila ng ganitong taktika, ibigay natin sa kanila,” Roque said.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo also said the government was not using Napoles to go after opposition figures, some of whom are linked to the formerly ruling Liberal Party.

Panelo said that for now, Napoles’ claim remains to be “tsismis” (gossip) and that she must execute a sworn statement to make it admissible in court.

“We cannot respond to tsismis. Ms. Napoles should execute a sworn statement to make the statement under oath. It doesn’t mean also that she’s credible. Kung mayroon siyang sworn statement, [that would] be fair to everybody,” Panelo told reporters.