The First Pork Barrel Fugitive

The Philippine pork barrel scandal (I've written about it several times -- one post is here) may be heating up. The former chief of staff of one of the senators allegedly involved seems to have left the country, leaving no forwarding address

Jessica Lucilla “Gigi” Reyes, former chief of staff of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile who was linked to the P10-billion pork barrel scam, left the country late last month and has yet to return, acting Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison said Thursday. 

Mison said Reyes left the country for Macau on Aug. 31. 

“Based on our records, she has not returned,” the immigration chief said. [ ... ] 

Reyes allegedly was one of those who served as “conduits” for channeling public funds to Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind behind the scam.

There are several possible explanations: She could just be vacationing, though I'm not betting on that one; she also could be on the run, fearing arrest; or she could have been urged to leave by people who are endangered by her possible testimony.

I'm still assuming that this will be swept end as such things seem to always do here: a few showy 'reforms' will be made and then the theft will go on as before. Her disappearance is consistent with this, though it could also be consistent with a genuine clean-up, however unlikely that would be.