Lawyer denies Napoles owns submarine, private plane

MANILA, Philippines - Businesswoman and fugitive Janet Lim-Napoles has no yachts or other means of sea and even air transport, her lawyer Lorna Capunan claimed on Wednesday.

"That is an absolute lie. Mrs. Napoles does not own any yacht at all. She does not even have a small banca," Capunan said in an interview on ANC.

Napoles is in the middle of the P10-billion pork barrel scam controversy after being accused of setting up bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) that received lawmakers' priority development assistance fund.

Some feared that Napoles have fled the country and reports said Tuesday that three yachts she allegedly owned have been missing.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, however, assured that Napoles is still in the Philippines.

"All existing leads na nakakalap ng [National Bureau of Investigation] ngayon point to the fact that they are still here but they are hiding," De Lima said Tuesday during the press briefing of the Inter-Agency Graft Coordinating Council.

Kapunan also said that Napoles is still here and belied claims that her client also owns a private plane.

"That Mrs. Napoles also owns a private plane, and therefore she can fly out from any of these airports that we have in the country is also absolutley false," said Kapunan.

"In fact it is absurd meron pa daw siyang submarine that's why they cannot find her," the lawyer added.

Willing to surrender

Kapunan also said that her client is willing to surrender provided that President Benigno Aquino III assures her safety.

She said that until proven guilty, her client has the right to be treated and seen as innocent by the public and the authorities.

"The President should just assure Mrs. Napoles will be guaranteed her safety and security as well as her rights under the Constitution, including presumption of innocence and due process," Kapunan said.

The lawyer also said that the P10 million bounty is not an incentive for Napoles, accused with her brother Jojo Lim for alleged illegal detention and a reported plunder case.

"She has nothing to hide, but there may be those who want her dead," Kapunan said.

Kapunan, meanwhile, said that the court's freeze order on Napoles and her relatives' bank accounts is not justified.

The lawyer also belied reports that her client has fled the country, allegedly escaping using boats from the Manila Yacht Club.