WHAT WENT BEFORE
In the cases filed in the Sandiganbayan, businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles is accused of masterminding the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
In a series of reports in 2013, the Inquirer detailed how Napoles channeled the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) from 2004 to 2010 to fake nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and ghost projects.
She is currently serving a 40-year prison term at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong for the serious illegal detention of her former aide and scam whistle-blower Benhur Luy.
Napoles is facing trial for plunder and graft charges with several lawmakers in separate divisions of the Sandiganbayan:
Coaccused with:
Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr.
Filed in: June 2014
Cases: One count of plunder and 16 counts of graft, raffled off to the First Division headed by Associate Justice Efren de la Cruz
On June 19, 2014, arrest warrants against Revilla and his coaccused were issued. Revilla turned himself in the Sandiganbayan the next day. In December 2014, the Sandiganbayan First Division dismissed Napoles and Revilla’s pleas for bail. The pretrial of his case was set on Feb. 4.
Coaccused with: Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile
Filed in: June 2014
Cases: One count of plunder and 15 counts of graft, raffled off to the third division headed by Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang
After Enrile surrendered to the Philippine National Police on July 4, 2014, he was confined at the PNP General Hospital at Camp Crame in Quezon City. In August 2015, Enrile was granted bail through the controversial Supreme Court ruling that cited humanitarian reasons for the exception from detention rules. In October 2015, the Sandiganbayan third division denied Napoles’ plea for bail.
Coaccused with:
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada
Filed in: June 2014
Cases: One count of plunder and 11 counts of graft, raffled off to the Fifth Division headed by Associate Justice Rolando Jurado
Estrada surrendered on June 23, 2014, after the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant for his arrest. He refused to enter a plea pending the resolution of petitions in the Supreme Court. Last Jan. 7, the division threw out his petition for bail.
Coaccused with: Masbate Gov. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete
Filed in: February 2015
Cases: One count of plunder and 11 counts of graft handled by the fourth division. Associate Justice Jose Hernandez is the current acting chair.
In February 2015, the fourth division ordered the arrest of Lanete after finding probable cause to try her. In April 2015, Lanete pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against her.
Coaccused with: Former Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives Rep. Edgar Valdez
Filed in: February 2015
Cases: One count of plunder and 7 counts of graft in the fifth division of Associate Justice Roland Jurado
In February 2015, the court ordered the arrest of Valdez. He surrendered to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region unit on Feb. 25, 2015. In March 2015, Valdez refused to enter a plea during his arraignment.
Source: Inquirer Archives
