Naples enters not guilty plea in plunder charges. Businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles (partly hidden, wearing hoodies) is shielded from the media by her police escorts as she leaves the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City on Thursday, June 26, after her arraignment in the plunder charges filed against her in connection with the P10-billion pork barrel scam. Amita Legaspi
A convoy that included a police minibus used to transport Napoles left the Sandiganbayan premises shortly after noon, radio dzBB’s Sam Nielsen reported.
The convoy traveled at high speed, at about 70 to 80 kph, the report said.
Napoles had arrived at the anti-graft court shortly after 7 a.m., an hour before her arraignment.
She was arraigned along with Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., who is detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame.
Revilla leaves for Crame
Meanwhile, separate reports by dzBB’s Allan Gatus and Rowena Salvacion said Revilla exited the anti-graft court premises a few minutes after Napoles left.
He was whisked into a minibus heading for Camp Crame.
Earlier, Revilla arrived at the anti-graft court, wearing a barong. He was not handcuffed.
On June 6, plunder charges were filed by the Ombudsman against Napoles, Senate Minority Floor Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Revilla in connection with the multibillion-peso pork barrel fund scam.
Additional graft charges were filed on June 9 against them.
According to the Ombudsman, the scheme that went on for nearly a decade involved the creation of fake NGOs, which received funding for agricultural and livelihood projects that either did not exist or were grossly overpriced. — Joel Locsin /KG/LBG, GMA News
