BI to DFA: Watch out for passports with Napoles, brother look-alikes

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) warned the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) against approving and releasing passports with photos resembling Janet Lim-Napoles and her brother, both wanted by authorities.

“[To the DFA] Be wary of passport holders who resemble high-profile fugitives Janet Lim-Napoles and brother Reynald Lim,” BI officer-in-charge Sigfried Mison said Tuesday.

Napoles, the alleged mastermind behind the P10-billion pork barrel scam, and Lim were served an arrest warrant by the Department of Justice and Makati City regional trial court for serious illegal detention of the whistle-blower Benhur K. Luy.

Mison confirmed that the siblings were still in the country, based on the immigration’s travel records.

As part of the nationwide manhunt operations, the “wanted” pictures of Napoles, and her brother were posted in the airports.

Mison said strict measures were implemented by the Immigration officers especially in airports and seaports. The BI also told its personnel to be “always alert” if they enter through the ports.

Janet Lim-Napoles. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

He also advised the foreign affairs department to be cautious when processing passports since Napoles and Lim, who were said to have heavily-armed protectors, might file for new passports under different names.

After warrants of arrest were issued to the two, the DFA immediately cancelled their passports to prevent them from leaving the country.

The Court of Appeals (CA) also froze the 415 bank accounts of the businesswoman as well as the accounts of her family members, relatives and JLN Group of Companies employees.

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Janet Napoles and  the pork barrel  scam