Unknown to President Aquino and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima during the 8th East Asia Conference on Competition and Law Policy at Sofitel Hotel earlier on Wednesday, the probable subject of their secretive talk, the pork barrel “queen” Janet Lim-Napoles, would surrender late Wednesday night. LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines – It seems like Justice Secretary Leila de Lima expected that should Janet Lim-Napoles surrender, it will not be in her office.
“It’s the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] that is investigating and it is the NBI that’s going after her. . . So I don’t think you will expect Napoles or her family to be comfortable with the NBI,” De Lima said on what she thought about Napoles’ choice to surrender to President Benigo Aquino III.
She said the NBI was even a co-complainant in the serious illegal detention case filed against Napoles and her brother, Reynald Lim, which subsequently resulted in the issuance of an arrest warrant against them.
“Whatever I feel, or the feelings I have does not matter. alam ko may mga katanungan sa minds ng ibang tao [I know people have questions], we want to handle that in a very professional manner, and [in] a very objective manner,” De Lima said.
Napoles surrendered to President Benigno Aquino III Wednesday night in Malacanang.
Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II quoted Napoles as saying that she trusted the President that’s why she chose to surrender to him.
“She trusted the President. The President was doing his job,” said Roxas in Filipino in a press conference a few hours after the authorities confirmed that Napoles has been taken into custody.
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