Sandigan summons bank accounts of PDAF whistle-blowers

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan has ordered officials of five banks to appear before the anti-graft court today and bring the bank records of whistle-blowers Benhur Luy, Merlina Suñas, Marina Sula, Gertrudes Luy and Arthur Luy, who will also testify in bail hearings regarding the pork barrel scam case.

Subpoenas were issued as the camp of alleged pork barrel fund scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles is apparently preparing to confront the witnesses as they take the stand for the prosecution.

The Sandiganbayan First Division issued subpoenas yesterday to at least five banks requiring their officials to be present in the bail hearings of the plunder case against Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., his former chief of staff Richard Cambe and Napoles herself.

Whistle-blowers in the pork barrel fund anomaly led by Luy are expected to appear before the First Division as prosecution witnesses who will directly accuse Revilla, Cambe and Napoles of involvement in the scam.

Branch clerk of court Estela Teresita Rosete, acting on authority of Associate Justice Efren de la Cruz as chairman of the Sandiganbayan First Division, directed bank executives to bring documents with them.

Those subpoenaed were officials of BDO Unibank Inc., Metrobank, Bank of the Philippine Islands, United Coconut Planters Bank and LandBank of the Philippines.

The whistle-blowers were supposed to take the witness stand last week but ombudsman lawyers had to finish the testimonies of Commission on Audit (COA) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) officials.

Napoles, accused of masterminding the fund scam, asked the Sandiganbayan to issue subpoenas on the bank records of the whistle-blowers including bank history, records and transactions of accounts identified with Luy and his fellow whistle-blowers.

The First Division is conducting weekly hearings on the bail petitions of Revilla, Cambe and Napoles with the prosecution tasked to prove that they have strong evidence against the accused to warrant denial of bail.

Meanwhile, Napoles also asked the Sandiganbayan not to order her transfer from her current detention cell at Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna to another jail.

In a five-page opposition to the prosecution’s motion seeking her commitment to a facility controlled by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), she said she is a “high risk” detainee who needs protection from those who might harm her.

Napoles, through her lawyer Stephen David, said that her being an important inmate is the very reason why the Makati City regional trial court (RTC) – where she is facing serious illegal detention charges – ordered her detention in Fort Sto. Domingo instead of the Makati City Jail. – With Christina Mendez