Makati court OKs Janet’s transfer to Taguig jail

MANILA, Philippines - The Makati City regional trial court (RTC) has no objection to the transfer of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles from her detention cell at a police camp in Laguna to the Taguig City Jail female dormitory at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan.

Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda, in a comment received by the Sandiganbayan yesterday, said the lower court is not against the anti-graft court’s order directing the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to take custody of Napoles.

With the development, the Sandiganbayan said there is no more legal impediment to the transfer of Napoles to the jail facility from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) training school in Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna to Camp Bagong Diwa.

The STAR sources said Napoles should now be committed to Camp Bagong Diwa.

Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP Public Information Office director, said the police would provide security to the convoy of the BJMP once Napoles is transferred from Fort Sto. Domingo to Camp Bagong Diwa.

Sindac said Senior Superintendent Eduardo Garado, deputy regional director of Calabarzon PNP, will lead the PNP security contingent.

The transfer is in compliance with the order of the Sandiganbayan, which is handling a series of plunder and graft charges anchored on the alleged misuse of pork barrel funds.

Napoles is facing plunder and graft charges before the Sandiganbayan together with Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada, who allegedly received more than P579 million in kickbacks or commissions from their pork barrel or Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of lawmakers.

She is also facing serious illegal detention charges at the Makati RTC Branch 150.

Napoles had filed a motion for reconsideration asking the Makati RTC to uphold the earlier commitment order to detain the businesswoman in Fort Sto. Domingo, but it should not be a reason not to comply with the transfer order.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division on Friday ordered the transfer of Napoles to Camp Bagong Diwa where persons facing trial are supposed to be detained in accordance with law.

Magistrates of the anti-graft court headed by Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang said Fort Sto. Domingo is not a jail.

Napoles is accused of masterminding a scheme wherein the pork barrel fund allocations of lawmakers are funneled to fake or bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) for the implementation of ghost projects.

In return legislators get up to 50 percent in rebates received in two tranches, according to whistle-blower Benhur Luy, who finally took the stand as a state witness against Revilla and his co-accused last week.

Lawyer Diosfa Valencia, clerk of court of the Makati RTC Branch 150, told The STAR that Judge Alameda was asked by the Sandiganbayan First Division to comment on the motion of the ombudsman to transfer Napoles to the custody of the BJMP.

“RTC Branch 150 is not opposed to the transfer of Napoles to another detention facility,” she said.

She clarified that although they have not received any order from the

Sandiganbayan Third Division which issued the commitment order, the no opposition comment applies to all divisions of the anti-graft court. – With Perseus Echeminada, Edu Punay