Agencies asked to stop sale of Napoles properties
Petitions to stop the sale or transfer of at least P5-billion worth of properties supposedly owned by alleged pork barrel scam queen Janet Lim-Napoles have been filed in the Land Registration Authority (LRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), according to documents signed by whistle-blowers.
The properties, including 70 houses, lots and luxury condominium units in posh subdivisions such as Forbes Park, Dasmariñas Village, Ayala Alabang and Bonifacio Global City, and 45 cars and sport utility vehicles are in the name of five companies listed under Napoles’ JLN Corp., according to the papers, copies of which were obtained by the Inquirer.
Part of the assets comprised 58 “estate and lawn” units at Heritage Memorial Park, an upscale cemetery at Bonifacio Global City where Napoles once held a lavish party attended by top government officials.
Lawyer Stephen Cascolan, counsel of the whistle-blowers who were former employees of JLN Corp, told the Inquirer that the list of properties was based on the records of Arlene Baltazar, a former bookkeeper of Napoles, which had been submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice.
“We requested the revocation of the certificates of registration of these companies to hold in abeyance any registration of sale or transfer of any of the properties of these companies,” he said. The companies are JCLN Global Properties and Development Corp., JLN Corp., JCLN Real Estate Development Consortium Inc., La Roca Enterprises and RLG Solutions.
Some assets on sale
“The filing of the petitions to revoke the certificates was an initiative of the whistle-blowers because they feel they do not want their efforts to go to waste because these properties were already reported to have been on sale.”
Cascolan said Baltazar, who is under the government witness protection program, kept all the records pertaining to the properties, which form part of the evidence in the plunder case filed in the Office of the Ombudsman against Napoles in connection with the P10-billion pork barrel scam that she allegedly engineered.
Also accused in the plunder case were Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. Another 28 people, including former congressmen, have been charged with either plunder or malversation of public funds.
Coscolan said Marina Sula, another whistle-blower, had executed an affidavit alleging that the Napoles companies acquired SEC certificates of registration through fraud.
The lawyer said that the five Napoles companies did not have the authorized capital to engage in business and did not have sufficient income to cover the cost of the properties.
“Under the law, certificates of registration of companies may be revoked if it could be proven that fraud was used in procuring the SEC registration,” he said.
Hearings on liabilities
Cascolan also said that apart from their petition to invalidate the SEC certificates, an investigation would be conducted and public notices would be issued on the liabilities of the purported Napoles properties.
If the SEC revokes the certificates of registration of the five companies, requests will be made to Land Registration Authority and the Land Transportation Office not to recognize any sale or transfer of the assets until after the irregularities have been resolved, he said.
Apart from properties, Sula also stated in her affidavit that Napoles had memberships in exclusive clubs in Metro Manila, Batangas and Cavite. The clubs include Club Punta Fuego in Batangas, Tagaytay Highlands in Cavite, The Palms Country Club in Alabang, and Manila Polo Club and Manila Golf Club in Makati.
In her sworn statement submitted to the NBI, Sula said one of her tasks was to ensure payments of association dues, amortization and real estate taxes for the properties.
She added that among the documents she submitted to the NBI were original deeds of sale of various units in posh condominium buildings.
