Napoles’ camp seeks to defer arraignment again

Janet Napoles. PHOTO courtesy of PNP-PIO and PNP-SAF photographers

MANILA, Philippines—Four days before her scheduled arraignment at the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) for serious illegal detention, the camp of Janet Lim-Napoles continues to try to put it off.

Late Wednesday afternoon, her lawyer, Lorna Kapunan, filed a motion for reconsideration at the Makati RTC Branch 150, asking Judge Elmo Alameda to overturn his Sept. 13 decision dismissing for lack of merit three of Napoles’ pleas.

These were her motions to suspend proceedings and defer her Sept. 23 arraignment, as well as an “urgent motion for bill of particulars,” which asks for specifications regarding the serious illegal detention charge.

Napoles and her brother, Reynald Lim, are facing serious illegal detention charges in Alameda’s sala, based on accusations made by cousin and former employee Benhur Luy.

Napoles is also the alleged brains of the P10-billion pork barrel scam, for which Luy is the primary whistle-blower.

According to court clerk Diosfa Toledanes-Valencia, Wednesday’s motion for reconsideration only seeks to reverse Alameda’s decision on the motion for the bill of particulars.

But based on this development, a new motion to defer the arraignment was also filed, “because there is now a pending motion for reconsideration,” Valencia said.

The motions will be heard on Friday, along with a petition for bail the Napoles camp filed on Tuesday.