Napoles invokes right to post bail

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Businesswoman and alleged mastermind in the pork barrel scam Janet Lim Napoles and two others facing plunder asked the Sandiganbayan First Division that they be allowed to post bail.

In a joint petition for bail filed Thursday, Napoles, her brother Ronald John Lim and Napoles, “all around errand boy” John Raymund De Asis through counsel Stephen David said the evidence by the prosecution is weak.

The petition said testimonies of the whistleblowers are not credible and inadmissible as evidence.

“The general and sweeping statements of whistleblowers Benhur Luy,  Marina Sula and Merlina Sunas, who turned state witnesses are purely hearsay, bias and self-serving, hence they are considered inadmissible,” the joint petition stated adding that the documentary evidence by the prosecution must be among those fabricated by the witnesses.

With regards to Lim, the petition said the prosecution could not specify acts that he has committed to make him liable for plunder.

On the other hand, it is “remotely impossible” for De Asis to conspire with anybody in the implementation of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

“Neither his knowledge nor position allowed him to take part in the planning, preparation and perpetration of the alleged conspiracy as he was, at the most, an ordinary employee performing menial task,” the petition stated.

Both Lim and De Asis have yet to surrender before the Sandiganbayan. Lim is also Napoles’ co-accused in the serious illegal detention pending before the Makati court.

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