Napoles camp shows proof Luy not detained

MANILA, Philippines - The camp of Janet Lim-Napoles on Friday showed evidence to prove that whistleblower Benhur Luy was never detained by the alleged mastermind of the multi-billion pork barrel scam.

After the first part of Napoles' bail hearing at the Makati Regional Trial court, lawyer Lorna Kapunan showed to the media photos grabbed from a footage of a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera at the Pacific Plaza Tower basement.

The building in Taguig City was where Luy was allegedly detained by Napoles and her brother, Reynald "Jojo" Lim.

Kapunan said the CCTV footage was taken on the night of Luy's supposed rescue by the National Bureau of Investigation.

Photos grabbed from the footage show Lim and Luy standing next to each other. Kapunan claimed that Luy could be seen unrestrained as he was also not tied nor handcuffed.

"Kung talagang ni-restrain siya, eh si Benhur nasa likod, pwede naman siyang tumakbo anytime no," Kapunan said in televised interview with the media.

Luy filed serious illegal detention charges against Napoles, who has been accused by the whistleblower of pocketing lawmakers' pork barrel that were funneled to the bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) that the businesswoman allegedly set up.

The whistleblower, who was a former president of one of the NGOs, was allegedly detained at various periods from December 2012 to March this year when Napoles discovered that he was allegedly planning to make a scheme similar to her boss'.

But the camp of Napoles has since claimed that Luy was only on a spiritual retreat during the months that he was supposedly detained to atone for his mistakes against the businesswoman.

Kapunan even showed a letter of Luy to his family detailing the alleged "voluntary retreat" at the Bahay ni San Jose retreat house in Magallanes.

"Iniimbitahan ko kayo damayan ninyo ako sa aking ginagawa. I am currently doing the nocturnal prayer, fasting para sa pagpapatawad ng pamilyang Napoles, lalo na si Ate Jenny sa aking kamalian o kasalanan natin," the Napoles camp read the letter.

"Itong letter na ito ay nagpapatunay na araw-araw siyang nagdadasal," Kapunan said.

She said the letter was the same used by the Department of Justice as basis to the assertion that Luy was detained and asking for help.

Kapunan added that Luy was not restrained as he was able to do activities with Napoles' brother such as going to restaurants, coffee shops, supermarkets and malls.

"So ano yung sinasabi nila na hindi siya makalabas sa retreat house eh lagi silang kumakain sa labas," Kapunan said.

The bail hearing of Napoles is set to continue this afternoon at the Makati Regional Trial Court.

Napoles is currently detained at the Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna in connection to the serious illegal detention charges file by Luy.