THE Sandiganbayan Third Division on Wednesday ordered the transfer of accused pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles to another jail to serve her life sentence over the serious illegal detention of Benhur Luy.
In a press briefing, Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang said the antigraft court Third Division denied the request of Napoles to remain at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig, where she had been detained as she faces plunder and graft over the pork barrel scam.
The court effectively ordered the transfer of Napoles to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong, where she was ordered jailed by the Makati Regional Trial Court, which convicted her.
“The court resolved to grant the motion of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to transfer the person of Napoles to the Correctional Institution for Women in light of the supervening events of her conviction by the Regional Trial Court in Makati for the crime of the serious illegal detention with the corresponding penalty (of life imprisonment),”according to the resolution Tang read in a late press briefing.
Napoles’ lawyer Stephen David had asked the court to allow her to stay in Camp Bagong Diwa for the court’s convenience, since the court would have to conduct hearings in the Mandaluyong correctional facility if Napoles is transferred there.
The Third Division issued the order as it has required Napoles to be present in her bail hearing for plunder over the pork barrel scam.
In August 2013, Luy accused Napoles, a cousin, and her brother Reynald of illegally detaining him at Bahay ni San Jose and at the South Garden Pacific Towers in Taguig City, a Catholic retreat house in Magallanes Village, Makati City, after they reportedly found out that Luy was having separate business transactions allegedly involving lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF).
Napoles, meanwhile, claimed that Luy had volunteered to go on a three-month spiritual retreat and that he was not detained against his will.
Makati RTC Judge Elmo Alameda said in his decision that the prosecution was able to establish that Luy was illegally held captive for three months. AC