The report, citing Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, said the AMLC is now tracking down Napoles’ supposed jewelry collection, photos of which were shown to GMA News by one of her former aides.
“It’s always part of the ongoing fact-finding [investigation]. Lalo na at yung AMLC, ang alam ko, ay they continue to discharge also their tasks with respect to this,” De Lima said.
Last April, Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 22 placed Napoles’ bank accounts and some real estate properties under an asset preservation order (APO).
In a memorandum, the AMLC maintained that the court should not grant Napoles’ petition for the recall of the APO, noting that she cannot provide evidence that would prove that the assets were obtained through legitimate means and before the alleged operation of the pork barrel scam, believed to be from 2007 to 2009.
“The assertion that the subject assets were acquired through legitimate means and before the material dates of the Pork Barrel Scam must fail for utter lack of evidentiary support,” the AMLC said in its memorandum submitted to the court last Monday.
However, in a separate interview, Napoles’ lawyer Bruce Rivera maintained that his client does not own the expensive jewelry collection shown on television reports.
Rivera said Napoles had entrusted to two of her friends some of her jewelry pieces and designer bags before she surrendered to the government in August last year. He said these items remain in the possession of Napoles’ two friends up to now.
“Yung alahas naman na sinasabi, absurd naman yun na sobrang dami… hindi totoo yun. Nataon lang kasi na nagba-buy and sell siya dati ng alahas pero di ganun karami,” Rivera said.
Last week, a former aide of Napoles exclusively showed to GMA News photos of the alleged extensive jewelry collection of Napoles, believed to be worth millions of pesos.
Lawyer Levito Baligod, the former aide’s legal counsel, has earlier said that Napoles owns even more expensive pieces of jewelry and precious stones stored in an undisclosed bank’s vault. — Elizabeth Marcelo/KBK, GMA News
