Lawyer Lorna Kapunan, counsel of Janet Napoles, tells media their next legal option after failing to get a ruling from the Makati Regional Trial Court on their plea to transfer the venue of the hearing in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. VIDEO by INQUIRER.net’s Julliane Love de Jesus
MANILA, Philippines—The camp of Janet Lim-Napoles appealed to the authorities Monday to “prioritize” their request to post bail on the serious illegal detention case filed by whistle-blower Benhur K. Luy against her and her brother ahead of the plunder charges.
Lawyer Lorna Kapunan, in an ambush interview at the Makati Regional Trial Court, questioned the detention of her client for serious illegal detention, a non-bailable offense, while the plunder case was still ongoing.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed on September 16 plunder, malversation, bribery, graft and corrupt practices before the Office of the Ombudsman against Napoles, Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and over 30 others.
“The plunder case has 32 respondents and yet among them Napoles is the only one detained? It is unfair that Napoles is under detention for another case,” she told the media.
Judge Elmo Alameda, of the Makati RTC Branch 150, has set the hearing for Napoles’ pending petition for bail on September 27, Friday at 9 a.m.
But Kapunan said they would file another motion waiving the appearance of the beleaguered businesswoman on the said date of the trial.
Earlier Monday, Napoles herself, Kapunan and her associates showed up at Alameda’s court. The Makati Judge entered a not guilty plea for Napoles in the serious illegal detention case.
Janet Napoles. PHOTO courtesy of PNP-PIO and PNP-SAF photographers
Napoles, the alleged mastermind behind the P10-billion pork barrel scam, arrived at the Makati RTC wearing a Kevlar helmet and bulletproof vest while her arms were wrapped by a white towel to “hide” the handcuffs.
Alameda also dismissed the motion of Napoles to conduct the earlier and succeeding hearings at Fort Santo Domingo in Santa Rosa, Laguna, where she was temporarily detained for 22 days to date, due to “security risks.”
However, Kapunan insisted that they would again file an appropriate motion to let the Supreme Court decide on the venue where the hearings will be held “for the best interest, not only of the accused (Napoles), but also of the government.”
While the prosecution in the hearing (Luy’s camp) has eight witnesses, Kapunan reiterated that they have 17 witnesses who will testify that Napoles and her brother Reynald “Jojo” Lim did not illegally detain and kidnap Luy, a former employee and distant cousin of Napoles.
Her brother Lim remains at large.
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Court enters not guilty plea for Napoles
Napoles files petition for bail in serious illegal detention case