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MANILA, Philippines–Accused pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles has one wish as she marked her 51st birthday last week, peace of mind amid the plunder and graft charges, her lawyer said.
Lawyer Stephen David, speaking to reporters after a bail hearing in Sandiganbayan, said Napoles wanted peace because “she is only human.”
Napoles turned 51 on January 15.
“She is being barraged with many cases. She is only human,” David said.
Asked if Napoles wanted peace because she feels guilty, David said her client had no reason to feel that way because she had been a generous donor of the Catholic Church.
“Paano ka makukonsensya kung 200 pari pinag-aral mo, dalawang simbahan pinatayo mo? Siya ang pinakamalaking tumutulong sa Caritas Manila at sa Home for the Golden Acres,” David said.
“Paano mo masasabing makukonsensya ka kung paniwala mo naman, ginamit ka ng panginoon para d’yan?” he added.
Napoles had been close to the Church before the corruption scandal erupted.
One church official who admitted receiving money from Napoles is former Quiapo Church Rector Monsignor Josefino Ramirez, who said he did not know about the questionable sources of Napoles’ donations.
Ramirez was identified in the records provided by principal whistleblower Benhur Luy as among those who received money from Napoles.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that Ramirez received P50 million worth of Priority Development Assistance Funds from Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. coursed through two foundations linked to Napoles.
Ramirez also received at least P800,000 in donations from Napoles. Luy’s records also showed that Napoles paid for Ramirez’s birthday and a travel to Europe.
The former Quiapo rector said he received the donations from the Magdalena Luy Lim Foundation, which Napoles established in memory of her mother, and from other donors “with the sole intention of using the same for the projects of the Divine Mercy.”
Napoles’ late mother was an ardent devotee of the Divine Mercy.
Napoles is detained at the Camp Bagong Diwa female dormitory as she faces plunder and graft charges for allegedly masterminding the purported scheme of funneling the lawmakers’ pork barrel funds to ghost projects for kickbacks.
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