“Yung mga nakikita ng mga kasambahay niya [Napoles] na nandoon lamang sa bahay niya, hindi pa yun yung mahahalagang jewelry niya….Yung mga nasa bahay, pang araw-araw lang niya yun. Yung mas mahahalagang jewelry niya at precious stones and metals nasa vault ‘yan ng isang bangko,” Baligod said in an exclusive interview aired on GMA News “24 Oras” Monday evening.
Baligod, who used to represent whistleblowers Benhur Luy and Merlina Suñas, now serves as the lawyer of Napoles’ former aide, who last Friday showed GMA News photos of the alleged jewelry collection believed to be worth millions of pesos.
In a same interview, the said former aide—who refused to be identified for security reasons—said Napoles owns more pieces of jewelry which she was not able to take photos of.
“Hindi ko po nakuhanan yung parang mga black pearl ata yun na nakabalot sa black na tela…kay Napoles lang po yun lahat, iba pa po yung sa mga anak niya na babae,” she said.
The former aide, who used to live with the Napoleses, said she used to clean some of the pieces.
‘Bakit may tag?’
In a separate interview, Napoles’ lawyer Stephen David maintained that his client does not own the jewelry collection shown in the ex-aide’s photos. David said that most of Napoles’ jewelry pieces were no longer in her possession.
“May mga alahas siya pero yung mga yun hindi kanya. May kung sino-sino naman na tao na nagsamantala din na kinuha yung mga alahas na yan, kesyo itatago, et cetera. In a way, nawala na yung mga alahas na yun,” David said.
He also cast doubt on the authenticity of the photos shown to GMA News by Napoles’ former aide.
“Kung jewelry ko yan, bakit may tag? Ibig sabihin, it’s either nasa department store yan, kinuhanan lang nung source na yun, kung sino man yun para magbigay ng massive misinformation about Mrs. Napoles,” David said.
However, in Luy’s digital files, which were turned over by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to the Senate last week, were multiple entries in Excel files about Napoles’ purchase and payment of expensive pieces of jewelry using money from fake non-government organizations (NGOs) where several lawmakers supposedly allocated their pork barrel funds.
In a September 2004 entry, Napoles allegedly paid Girlie Abalos, daughter of former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos, the amount of P794,000 for a piece of jewelry.
In an October 12, 2004 entry, Napoles allegedly paid Girlie Abalos P264,666 for another piece.
In two entries both dated January 22, 2007, Napoles allegedly paid a certain Mary Jane De Guzman the amounts of P4.5 million and P1 million, also for jewelry.
In December 2005, Napoles also allegedly bought jewelry worth P1.7 million. — Elizabeth Marcelo/BM, GMA News
