Janet Lim Napoles (center), the alleged pork barrel scam queen, is escorted out of the court room after being found guilty on her kidnapping and serious illegal detention case of scam whistleblower Benhur Luy at the Makati Regional Trial Court on Tuesday. Napoles was sentenced to permanent imprisonment. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Janet Lim Napoles on Wednesday asked the Sandiganbayan Third Division to let her remain in her current place of detention at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.
In a verbal motion given in open court, Napoles’ lawyer, Atty. Stephen David, cited Rules of Court that if a convicted criminal is moved to a permanent jail like the Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong, all proceedings will have to be done in that jail.
Saying it will be “inconvenient for both the prosecution and the defense to hold hearings” in the Women’s Correctional, David asked the court to let Napoles stay in the Bureau of Jail Management in Taguig.
This, despite the commitment order signed by Makati City Judge Elmo Alameda Tuesday, ordering the transfer of Napoles to the Mandaluyong jail.
David said they will file a written motion within the day. For her part, Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotage Tang likewise said the issue will be resolved within the day.
The Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 on Tuesday sentenced Napoles to reclusion perpetua or 20 years plus one day up to 40 years in jail, after she was found guilty of serious illegal detention.
Napoles was also ordered to pay P50,000 in moral damages and another P50,000 in civil damages.
Napoles and her brother Reynald Jojo Lim were accused of detaining their cousin and her former employee Benhur Luy for three months. Lim, however, remains at large and was never arraigned.
Luy, who was rescued in March 2013, was allegedly detained after Napoles found out that he secured a P5.5-million loan using her name and without her authorization. Napoles has also accused Luy of stealing P300,000 that he was supposed to deposit to her account.
Luy’s camp, however, insisted that he was taken against his will so he would not be able to spill the beans on Napoles’ anomalous transactions.
These consisted of allegedly diverting P10 billion from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of lawmakers through her non-existent foundations for alleged ghost projects.
Luy went on to become the primary whistleblower in the graft and plunder cases filed against Napoles before the Sandiganbayan. (MNS)