Ombudsman: Junk Napoles’ children’s plea

James Christopher Napoles (left) and sister Jo Christine, the children of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Napoles. PHOTOS BY RAFFY LERMA/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday asked the Sandiganbayan to set aside for lack of merit the petition filed by the two children of suspected pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles seeking the dismissal of the graft charges against them.

In its opposition, the prosecution said the antigraft court’s Third Division had already ruled on the arguments that Jo Christine Napoles and her brother James Christopher cited in their motion for reconsideration.

“The issues and arguments raised by both accused… were just reiteration of the issues already raised in their motion for judicial determination of probable cause,” read the prosecution’s three-page comment.

The state prosecutors said the three-member division “extensively discussed and resolved” the matters raised by Napoles’ children in its Sept. 29 ruling which found probable cause to charge them with 15 counts of graft.–Marlon Ramos