Court extends order barring Napoles from handling assets

Video by Tetch Torres-Tupas/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–The Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 22 on Friday extended its order prohibiting alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles from dipping her hands into her bank accounts, properties and vehicles.

During the hearing on the forfeiture case against Napoles on Friday, Judge Marino Dela Cruz extended the provisional asset preservation order (PAPO) issued on Napoles’ assets until the court has determined whether to make permanent the preservation order.

The Manila Court issued the PAPO after finding probably cause that the “subject bank accounts, monetary instruments, motor vehicles and real properties are related to unlawful activities that may constitute plunder, bribery…”

The order prohibits the “transaction, transfer, removal, conversion, concealment or other disposition” of the subject accounts, assets and properties.

A PAPO was issued after the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) filed a petition to forfeit assets of those implicated in the pork barrel scam.

AMLC said that their investigation showed that despite absence of legitimate income, there was a spike in the bank accounts and other monetary instruments during the period of the pork barrel scam.