The Philippine government is prepared to extradite the family of alleged pork barrel fund scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles to the United States (US) to face trial for siphoning $20 million from the Philippines to the US.
Napoles, and five others — her children Jo Christine, James Christopher, and Jeane Catherine as well as brother Reynaldo and his wife Ana Marie — were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit money laundering, domestic money laundering, and international money laundering.
READ: Napoles, 5 others, indicted for funneling $20M into US from PH
“We have been collaborating with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) on this money laundering charges against Napoles,” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Wednesday.
“We welcome this development as it paves the way for the return of the people’s money to our national treasury,” he added.
The DOJ chief said he is expecting his US counterpart to act on Napoles and her family’s extradition.
However, he said “until the case against [Janet Lim] Napoles in the Philippines have been resolved and terminated, we cannot extradite her to the US.”
Napoles is currently detained at Camp Bagong Diwa and facing a string of plunder and graft charges before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the anomalous disbursement of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
READ: WHAT WENT BEFORE: Janet Napoles case
Guevarra said only the relatives of Napoles who were not facing charges in the Philippines may be extradited to the US.
“If we receive a request for extradition and they are here, we will commence the necessary proceedings,” he said. /ee