No birthday bash for ‘golden girl’ Napoles

Unlike the extravagant parties she once hosted for the high and the mighty, Janet Lim-Napoles had a subdued 50th birthday on Wednesday.

The alleged mastermind of the P10-billion pork barrel scam spent “just an ordinary day” in her detention facility at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna province, said the spokesperson of the Philippine National Police.

“Her family did not bring food. She also did not request an extension of her visitation period,” said Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac. “Maybe she chose not to catch public attention.”

Napoles, who is detained on a charge of serious illegal detention of her former employee, Benhur Luy, surrendered to President Aquino in August last year in Malacañang. She has been detained at the PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) training camp since September.

Two complaints for plunder have also been filed against the businesswoman in the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the pork barrel scam and the diversion to ghost projects of P900 million from the Malampaya Fund intended for storm victims. She has denied any wrongdoing.

During the holidays, Napoles’ request to extend the visitation hours on Christmas and New Year was granted by the PNP, but limited her visitors to close family members, priests and lawyers.

After being named a prime suspect in the misuse of the congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), photos of Napoles hobnobbing with lawmakers began to surface on the Internet. The lavish lifestyle of Napoles’ 21-year-old daughter, Jeane, abroad also became a subject of public scrutiny.

Napoles used to throw parties, complete with caterers and air-conditioned tents, every All Souls’ Day in her mother’s mausoleum at the upscale Heritage Memorial Park. Senate President Franklin Drilon was photographed in one of her parties.

But on Wednesday, Napoles was served with “ordinary” meals, said Sindac. She had ham and egg for breakfast, pork stew for lunch, and milkfish cooked in vinegar and ginger for dinner.

Sindac said Napoles’ husband, Jaime, and sons James and Christopher stayed with her from noon to 4 p.m., along with a priest, Fr. Anthony Bautista, and visitors named Aiza Macapatag and Stephen and Lanee David.

“It was planned to be a big event to celebrate the golden girl and we had talked about it last year when we celebrated her birthday,” said Marina Sula, a former Napoles employee.

She related that last year Napoles was with family, friends, lawyers and employees in a birthday lunch at Heat restaurant in Edsa Shangri-La.

“We sang her favorite song, ‘The Power of Love,’ by Celine Dion,” said Luy, a Napoles aide who has turned witness for the prosecution.