Napoles, Jaraula dispute Sandiganbayan conviction

MANILA, Philippines — Both Janet Lim-Napoles and former Cagayan de Oro Rep. Constantino Jaraula have disputed the ruling of the Sandiganbayan convicting them and several former government employees of corruption over the malversation of P28 million in public funds.

Napoles’ lawyer, Rony Garay, said they would sue the Sandiganbayan’s First Division for admitting evidence that supposedly violated the anticybercrime law.

“The original decision, which they later amended, had been clearly hurried and handed down haphazardly and without a sober consideration of the pending motions of Ms. Napoles,” Garay said in a statement.

Jaraula, on the other hand, said he would appeal the decision because he was only dragged into the scandal when he proposed three projects for his district in the last six months of his term as congressman.

“I am innocent. They (prosecutors) have no evidence against me,” Jaraula said.

The Ombudsman had accused Jaraula of pocketing P20.8 million in kickbacks based on testimony of whistleblower Benhur Luy, who maintained a ledger of the payoffs for Napoles.

Jaraula believes that the documents used to implicate him in the pork barrel scandal were forged.