Napoles arraignment reset to Sept. 23

 Entertainment
Sep 092013
 
Napoles arraignment reset to Sept. 23

Secretary to the Cabinet Jose Rene Almendras talks with fugitive businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, husband Jimmy and lawyer Atty. Lorna Kapunan at the President’s Hall Receiving Area of the Malacañan Palace Wednesday night (August 28). The surrender feeler was sent by Atty. Kapunan to Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda hours after President Aquino announced a P10-million reward to anyone who can give information for the immediate arrest of the alleged brains behind the P10-billion pork barrel scam. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) -– The Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 has reset the arraignment of businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles to September 23 at 1:30 p.m. Makati RTC Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda granted the motion of the camp of Napoles which sought the postponement of the September 9 arraignment. Napoles is facing serious illegal detention case filed by key pork barrel scam whistleblower, Benhur Luy. Napoles’ camp sought the postponement of the arraignment since the businesswoman still has pending motions with the Court of Appeals and the Makati RTC Branch 150. Napoles is currently detained at Fort Santo Domingo in Laguna.(MNS)

Palace: Aquino wants pork-related cases to go beyond press releases

 News
Sep 082013
 
Palace: Aquino wants pork-related cases to go beyond press releases

President Benigno Aquino wants all cases that will be filed in relation to the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam to go beyond press releases and stand up in court, Malacañang said Sunday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Aquino gave strict orders that the cases to be filed must be backed by solid evidence. “(M)ariin ang utos ng Pangulong Aquino sa investigation na kailangan matibay ang ebidensya. Ayaw ng pangulo ang nagsasampa ng kaso para sa press release lang,” Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. She also reiterated the investigation will not spare even administration allies, so long as the evidence [is strong]. In the meantime, she asked the public not to have preconceived notions or assumptions of the outcome of the investigation. “Ang importante, pupunta tayo kung saan tayo dinadala ng ebidensya, hindi pwede ang preconceived notion o assumption,” she said. She said the Palace is still leaving the matter to the Department of Justice, which she said considers this case a priority. Meanwhile, Valte said the hunt is still on for Reynald Lim, the brother of suspected pork scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. She also said the reward for information leading to his capture is still holds. — LBG, GMA News

Erap recalls having met Napoles before

 News
Sep 062013
 
Erap recalls having met Napoles before

Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada admitted Friday that he was acquainted with Janet Lim Napoles, the detained businesswoman tagged as the mastermind of the P10 billion pork barrel scam. In a report aired on GMA News’  “24 Oras,” newscast, the former president said that although he had encountered Napoles in a number of social gatherings, he does not know her personally. “Na-meet ko siya sa isang party. Hindi ko nga nakausap eh. Baka nag-hi at hello kami, pero yun lang,” he said. Estrada also confirmed that Cheryl Jimenea and Ruby Tuason, the women named by two new whistleblowers as having ties with Napoles, were his former employees. Jimenea worked as his former appointments secretary while Tuason was his social secretary. The new whistleblowers, who came forward this week, said in an affidavit submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that they had met with Jimenea and Tuason in the past to make transactions on behalf of Napoles. Estrada said that he has not communicated with either of the two women since they resigned from work. “Ang alam ko [si Jimenea] pumasok sandali kay Jinggoy pagkaalis sa akin pero hindi rin siya nagtagal doon at umalis din. Pero si Ms. Tuason, hindi ko na nabalitaan kung kanino siya napunta. Syempre kapag may umalis akong empleyado, papasok sila sa ibang trabaho. Hindi ko na inaalam kung saan sila namamasukan,” Estrada said. Jinggoy Estrada, the former president’s son, is one of the five senators identified by the Commission on Audit as those Read More …

Two ranking NBI officials not resigning — DOJ chief de Lima

 News
Sep 052013
 
Two ranking NBI officials not resigning — DOJ chief de Lima

Two ranking officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have not submitted their courtesy resignations, despite calls from Justice Secretary Leila de Lima for deputy directors with “trust and integrity issues” to resign out of delicadeza. De Lima said this is the situation after emerging from a meeting with NBI Deputy Directors Reynaldo Esmeralda (Intelligence Service) and Ruel Lasala (Special Investigation Services) late Thursday afternoon. Esmeralda and Lasala had requested the meeting with De Lima, following the resignation of NBI Director Nonnatus Rojas. Earlier, allegations surfaced that two of Rojas’ subordinates tipped off pork barrel fund scam suspect Janet Lim Napoles about an arrest warrant against her. De Lima then revealed that “three to four” of the six NBI directors have “trust and integrity issues,” as she appealed to them to resign out of delicadeza. Apart from Esmeralda and Lasala, the remaining NBI deputy directors are Rickson Chiong (Technical Services), Edmundo Arugay (Administrative Services),  Virgilio Mendez (Regional Operation Services), and Rafael Ragos (Comptroller Services). De Lima had already cleared Mendez in the controversy, while Arugay had earlier tendered a courtesy resignation. “I don’t think they are willing to submit courtesy resignations… They explained why and therefore I cannot compel them to submit their courtesy resignation,” said De Lima, explaining that resignations of presidential appointees, like NBI deputy directors, whether courtesy or not are supposed to be voluntary. De Lima said Esmeralda and Lasala gave her an explanation why they did not want to resign, but De Lima refused to Read More …

Govt probing Napoles assets abroad — BIR chief Henares

 News
Sep 052013
 
Govt probing Napoles assets abroad — BIR chief Henares

Commissioner Kim Henares of the Bureau of Internal Revenue said Thursday the government is already taking steps to probe businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles properties abroad. “We are coordinating with foreign governments kasi sa foreign governments pati bank accounts puwede namin makuha dito hindi,” Henares told reporters in Manila, adding that the government’s purpose was merely to “get information” from these foreign governments. The BIR is in the middle of investigating if Napoles, embroiled in a P10-billion pork barrel fund scam, has been paying the right taxes. Napoles had insisted her wealth came from legitimate sources, saying she owns shares in a mining company in Indonesia. It has likewise been reported thatvshe owns properties in the US. “If she has business abroad, mas malaki ang problema niya because the US tax you in a global manner… if you have a US connection,” Henares said. The BIR chief refused to elaborate further on her agency’s ongoing probe, saying: “Puwede kapag handa na kami, sasabihin ko.” Henares also revealed that some of the almost 30 properties earlier reported to be owned by Napoles could have been placed under other people’s names. Similar to doing a “google search,” Henares said her agency earlier asked around different agencies and searched their databases for any properties owned by Napoles. “So iyong nage-generate (so far i connection with Napoles) hindi nagmamatch sa 30 na real properties, 28 dati, ngayon 30… hindi sya nagma-match,” Henares said, adding the BIR is now in the process of tracing who the owners Read More …

Court orders Napoles transfer to Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna

 News
Aug 302013
 
Court orders Napoles transfer to Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna

A Makati court has approved the transfer of controversial businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles from the Makati City Jail to Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, a tweet from radio dzBB said Friday. Napoles’s camp asked for her transfer for “safety reasons.” Napoles, detained in connection with a serious illegal detention case, spent the night at the Makati City Jail after surrendering to President Benigno Aquino III Wednesday night. The alleged mastermind in a P10-billion pork barrel scam, Napoles was first brought to Camp Crame in Quezon City after her surrender. She was brought to Makati City Jail on Thursday night. Among known personalities who had been detained at Fort Sto. Domingo were former President Joseph Estrada and his son Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Nur Misuari, and Sen. Gringo Honasan. — KBK, GMA News

De Lima to Napoles: Surrender, prove innocence in court

 Entertainment
Aug 192013
 

MANILA  (Mabuhay) — Embattled businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, the alleged brains behind the multi-billion scam involving the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of lawmakers and the P900-million Malampaya Fund mess, is now a high-profile fugitive from justice. Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said on Tuesday that efforts by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to […]

Without copy of warrant, PNP hands tied on Napoles hunt

 News
Aug 142013
 
Without copy of warrant, PNP hands tied on Napoles hunt

Until it gets a copy of the arrest warrant for trader Janet Lim Napoles and her brother, Reynald “Jojo” Lim, the Philippine National Police admitted Thursday morning it cannot join the hunt for them. Otherwise, PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac said they are set to help the National Bureau of Investigation track them, radio dzBB’s Sam Nielsen reported. NBI teams had fanned out to areas where Napoles is suspected to be hiding but had so far failed to locate her.  The Makati City Regional Trial Court had issued an arrest warrant for the Napoleses for the alleged illegal detention of the whistleblower in the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.  Sindac said that until the PNP gets a copy of the warrant, its hands are tied. Meanwhile, the NBI and Bureau of Immigration are expanding their watch for Napoles to small airports, dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported. NBI deputy director Reynaldo Esmeralda said their men will inspect flight manifests, even of private planes. —KG, GMA News

Napoles fights back, to file flurry of raps vs. accusers

 News
Aug 052013
 
Napoles fights back, to file flurry of raps vs. accusers

(Updated 12:52 p.m.) Months after being embroiled in a supposed scam involving the pork barrel of lawmakers, businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles decided to fight back by hurling a flurry of charges against her accusers. Napoles’ lawyer, Lorna Kapunan, told GMA News Online on Tuesday that they would be filing within the day separate cases of perjury, libel, disbarment, and illegal arrest in Quezon City, Makati, and Taguig City. She said they would file perjury complaints against supposed whistleblowers Benhur Luy and Merlina Suñas for allegedly accusing Napoles of soliciting money from lawmakers’ pork barrel — or Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) — for non-existent projects through fictitious foundations. Luy’s family will also be included in the perjury complaint, Kapunan said. A disbarment case, meanwhile, would also be lodged against Luy’s lawyer, Levito Baligod, before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for allegedly extorting money from the Napoles camp in exchange for his client clearing Napoles’ name in the issue. Tri-media campaign? Kapunan said their camp will also slap the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Rappler with charges of libel for its “disregard for the truth” and for “abusing the word ‘allegedly’” in its reports on the controversy. Kapunan said the Inquirer will be slapped with charges for the series of reports it did on the fund mess, while Rappler will be sued for its story on the lavish lifestyle of Napoles’ daughter, Jeane. “We want to test this so-called good faith in reporting. Kapag sinabi mong alleged at ipi-print mo, that in Read More …

Whistleblower provides NBI with details on ‘pork barrel’ scam

 Entertainment
Aug 022013
 

MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Whistleblower Benhur Luy on Wednesday dropped by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to give Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) numbers to prove that money being used by his supposed employer, businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, came from lawmakers’ “pork barrel.” Luy’s lawyer Levito Baligod told reporters his client visited the NBI along […]

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