Napoles-Lim asks DoJ to junk appeal by Luy, NBI

Janet Lim-Napoles. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The businesswoman tagged in the P10 billion pork barrel scam on Monday asked the Department of Justice (DoJ) to affirm the dismissal of a serious illegal detention complaint filed against her and her brother by whistleblower Benhur Luy.

In a 19-page comment and opposition filed by Janet Lim-Napoles and her brother, Reynald Lim, the siblings also asked the DoJ to dismiss the motion for reconsideration filed by Luy and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Luy and the NBI filed the motion for reconsideration after the DoJ dismissed the complaint against the siblings. The motion claimed that the DoJ erred in clearing Napoles and her brother of JLN Group of Companies on the illegal detention complaint.

The siblings countered in their opposition that Luy and the NBI failed to raise new arguments that would warrant a reversal of the DoJ’s earlier ruling.

“Private complainants and the NBI obsessively argue that there was actual restraint on complainant Benhur K. Luy’s liberty. However, as correctly found by this Honorable Office (DOJ) and as explained through respondents’ and their witnesses’ affidavits, complainant Benhur K. Luy was never deprived of his liberty or detained against his will,” the siblings said in their opposition.

Napoles said that during the preliminary investigation, it was proven that Luy “voluntarily” submitted himself to a 3-month spiritual recollection and that “it was by his own volition not to go home to his family” until the retreat was completed.