Palace dismisses views Duterte admin is protecting Napoles

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang Sunday laughed off notions that the Duterte administration is now protecting alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Napoles after the solicitor general recommended her acquittal on the crime of serious illegal detention.

 

Asked during an interview with radio station dzRB if the government is now protecting Napoles, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said: “Seriously?”

 

Abella laughed and then remarked: “I doubt that. Thank you, next question.”

 

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has recommended to the Court of Appeals the acquittal of Napoles for serious illegal detention of her second cousin, pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy.

 

The move has drawn suspicions that the government has struck a deal with Napoles, who has tagged several politicians in the alleged diversion of congressional funds to non-existent projects and groups.  

 

In 2015, the Makati Regional Trial Court sentenced Napoles to a jail term of up to 40 years for serious illegal detention.

 

The OSG, however, believes that the court erred in convicting Napoles. According to Solicitor General Jose Calida, there were “glaring instances” that would support Napoles’ acquittal. He said Luy was not restrained in a retreat house and even met with his family three times.

 

Abella kept mum on insinuations that the Duterte administration has entered into an agreement with Napoles.

 

“I don’t know, I am not privy to those matters ‘no. Pero kung may usap-usapan sila hindi natin alam iyan (If there were such talks, we do not know about that),” he said.

 

“But definitely the Sol Gen (solicitor general) viewed these matters and that’s what he decided on.”

 

Officials previously claimed that Calida was not acting as a lawyer for Napoles when he made the recommendation to the Court of Appeals.

 

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo had also claimed that President Rodrigo Duterte did not have a hand in Calida’s move. He had said the administration would comply with the law regardless of who are the persons involved.

 

Officials also expressed optimism that a reversal of Napoles’ conviction would not affect her plunder cases.