No sign yet of Napoles' brother trying to leave PHL — Immigration official

 News
Aug 312013
 

The brother of suspected pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles may still be in the country as there is no sign he tried to flee via the country’s international airports, immigration official said.

Bureau of Immigration Ninoy Aquino International Airport intelligence division chief Wilson Soluren said they had not monitored any attempt by Reynald Lim to leave via the airports, state-run Philippines News Agency reported.

“So far wala pa kaming monitored attempt niya to exit the country ever since na nag-issue ng warrant of arrest laban sa kanila (So far we have not monitored any attempt by him to exit the country since a warrant was issued for his arrest),” Soluren said.

“We believe Mr. Lim is still in the country and hopefully sumuko na rin siya (he will surrender) just like what her sister did,” he added.

He said that if Lim is seen at the airports, the BI will arrest him and turn him over to the police or the National Bureau of Investigation.

Earlier this month, the Makati City regional trial court issued an arrest warrant against Napoles and Lim for serious illegal detention.

Napoles surrendered to President Benigno Aquino III in Malacañang last Wednesday and was initially brought to Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame.

She was then brought to the Makati City Jail, even as the Makati court approved her transfer to Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna province.

Napoles allegedly set up ghost non-government organizations that received funds from lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund. The scam triggered outrage among citizens who demanded that the pork barrel system be scrapped.

Meanwhile, Soluren said the BI’s dedicated personnel continue to monitor the country’s international airports 24/7.

He said posters bearing information of Lim remain in conspicuous places in international airports. — ELR, GMA News

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 gives 'threats' vs. Napoles benefit of the doubt

 News
Aug 302013
 
De Lima gives 'threats' vs. Napoles benefit of the doubt

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Friday said the government is verifying the alleged security threats on controversial trader Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged brains behind the P10-billion pork barrel scam. For the meantime, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said they are giving Napoles’s claims that her life is in danger “the benefit of the doubt.” “Even if hindi pa naba-validate, I think we can give these allegations the benefit of the doubt,” De Lima said on Friday, noting that the embattled businesswoman had formally told the Court of Appeals that there were threats to her security. She said that in a motion filed with the CA, Napoles claimed being in “grave, imminent and real danger” and receiving death threats. Napoles, currently detained at the Makati City Jail, is asking the CA to allow her transfer to a safer detention cell. “We can give this some preliminary merit na kasi possible nga namin dahil may mga ibang nadadawit ay magisip na gumawa ng masama,” De Lima said. Napoles’s lawyer Lorna Kapunan had earlier cited these threats as reason why her client chose to surrender to President Benigno Aquino III, saying he’s the only one they could trust. De Lima said the Philippine National Police is still currently verifying “credible information” that there are people who want to “silence” Napoles. De Lima’s statement came a day after she told the media that she and the National Bureau of Investigation, which is under the Department of Justice (DOJ), were unaware of any threats Read More …