Napoles wants to stay in Fort Sto. Domingo, not in city jail

By: Marc Jayson Cayabyab - 10 years ago

Janet Napoles. POOL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Detained pork barrel scam suspect Janet Lim-Napoles wants the Sandiganbayan to allow her to stay in Fort Sto. Domingo, citing threats to her life and security.

In a motion filed on Friday, Napoles’ counsel said the court should reconsider and clarify their minute resolution transferring Napoles to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, from Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna where she is detained for a serious illegal detention charge.
In the meantime, the transfer should be held in abeyance pending the final decision on the motion, the motion read.

“It is of the humble position of the accused that her status as a high risk detainee be given utmost consideration,” the motion read.

“The cases brought against her are intensely controversial and involves highly powerful and controversial personalities. There are grave, real and imminent threat to her life and security. Having humanitarian consideration in mind, the accused asks that her safety be guaranteed and not be transferred to another detention facility,” it added.

Napoles also said it is only courtesy to allow her to stay in Fort Sto. Domingo because she was ordered detained there by the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 which is hearing her separate serious illegal detention case.

In an interview, Napoles’ lawyer Stephen David said the police told him they would first ask the permission of the Makati court before transferring Napoles
“Syempre nalilito sila. First, may order from Makati court na dalhin siya sa Fort Sto. Domingo. Pag di sinunod, pwede sila ma-contempt,” David said.

(The police is confused. Firstly, there’s an order from Makati court to bring her to Fort Sto. Domingo. If the police does not follow, they might be cited for contempt.)

Pending the Philippine National Police’s decision after consulting the Makati court, Napoles would be brought back to Laguna in the meantime, David said.

Napoles is the accused mastermind of the multi-billion racket of pillaging lawmakers’ pork barrel funds to ghost projects for kickbacks. She faces plunder and graft raps over the scam, and a separate serious illegal detention rap.

The Sandiganbayan third division on Friday ordered her transfer to a city jail because the Fort Sto. Domingo is a training school and not a detention facility.