Janet Lim-Napoles INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
SAN PEDRO, Laguna, Philippines — Janet Lim-Napoles, the prime suspect in the P10-billion pork barrel scam, has requested an extension of the regular visiting hours at her detention cell in Fort Sto. Domingo, where the businesswoman has been detained following her surrender in August.
Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, the Philippine National Police (PNP) information chief, said Napoles last week wrote the director of the PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) requesting an extension of the visiting hours, particularly for Christmas and on New Year’s Eve.
Napoles requested that she be allowed to accept visitors from 1 p.m. of Dec. 24 to 1 a.m. of Dec. 25; from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. of Dec. 25; from 1 p.m. of Jan. 31 to 1 a.m. of Jan. 1, 2014; and from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. of Jan. 1.
“It is still under study whether (the request) will be referred to the Chief PNP or to the court for approval. We are still checking any legal (implication),” Sindac said in a phone interview on Sunday.
On regular days, Napoles is allowed to receive visitors from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday and from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. during weekends. Only members of Napoles’ immediate family, priests, and her lawyers were allowed to visit her at the highly secured SAF facility in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna, since the Makati City Regional Trial Court ordered her transferred from the Makati jail in September.
On whether the PNP would allow Napoles to receive Christmas presents or food inside the facility, “we will have to check that first, but we assure you that security remains tight and we will be consistent in implementing all security protocols, unless ruled otherwise by the court,” Sindac said.
The Makati RTC issued the arrest warrant against Napoles in connection with the serious illegal detention case lodged against her by scam whistleblower Benhur Luy.
In November, the Department of Justice charged Napoles and several lawmakers with plunder over the pork barrel scam.
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