https://www.nbi.gov.ph/ photo
MANILA, Philippines—The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Thursday it was ready to detain Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged brains behind the P10 billion pork barrel scam, if the court in Makati City that issued the arrest warrant against her would decide to that she will be detained at NBI.
Speaking to reporters, Cecilio Zamora Jr., NBI spokesman, said they have their own detention cell and it is ready to accommodate Napoles anytime when the court decides that she will stay inside NBI.
When asked what the detention cell looks like, Zamora said it is an “ordinary” detention cell where all other detainees stay.
“Wala namang extra-ordinary doon sa detention cell (There isn’t anything extra-ordinary with the detention cell),” Zamora said, adding that Napoles wouldn’t be given any special treatment if she will be admitted at the NBI cell.
He also assured the security inside the NBI, saying that several high-profile detainees (such as an Ampatuaan clan member), have also been detained there and nothing bad happened to them.
Zamora, however, said that security at the NBI will be beefed up if Napoles will be detained inside.
Asked to comment on the fact that Napoles surrendered to President Benigno Aquino III, and not in NBI, Zamora said it was okay because it was Napoles’ choice to start with.
“Option niya yan kung san niya gusting mag surrender. Kung sa Malacanang [Palace] niya feel na mas magiging safe sya, okay din samin. Walang problem doon,” the NBI spokesman said.
Zamora also said he doesn’t find any indication of “special treatment” on Napoles even when the President himself, along with several other officials, personally took him to Camp Crame to facilitate her surrender.
“Natural lang yon na kung sa Malacanang su-surrender, natural kakausapin sya ng president,” he said.
Napoles surrendered to President Aquino around 9:37 p.m. Wednesday.
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Janet Napoles and the pork barrel scam