MANILA, Philippines – A lawyer of Janet Lim Napoles’ family said on Wednesday that Jeane Catherine Napoles would remain in the country to face her tax evasion cases, even as the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) withdrew the warrant of arrest it issued against Jeane last month.
“Considering the presence of the accused, which indicated good faith on her part to submit to the authority of the court, and over the objection of the prosecution without stating the specific ground therefor in their opposition filed on May 6, 2015 at 12:37 p.m., the court granted accused urgent ex-parte motion to lift bench warrant and to reinstate bond filed on April 29, 2015,” the CTA’s third division said in the minutes of the hearing held Wednesday afternoon.
“Consequently, the order of arrest was withdrawn and the bond posted and cancelled was reinstated,” according to the CTA.
The tax court said an arraignment was scheduled for May 27 at 1:30 p.m.
In a telephone interview, Napoles’ counsel Stephen David said Jeane was apologetic for being unable to attend the previous hearings, which made the tax court issue a warrant for her arrest last April 30.
The court also cancelled the bond posted for her provisional liberty and forfeited it in favor of the government.
David said they were still hoping that the tax court would eventually junk the case against Jeane for “lack of probable cause.”
“Ang kaso niya ay non-filing of income tax return and non-payment of taxes. Pero wala namang income at employers si Jeane. Wala dapat ang kasong ito. (Her case is about the non-filing of income tax return and non-payment of taxes. But she does not have income and she has no employers),” David said.
“Walang ebidensya na may income at employer siya. ‘Yung properties naman sa America ay ipinangalan lang sa kanya ng mga magulang niya as trustee. Regalo sa kanya ‘yun dahil matalino siyang bata, valedictorian siya sa school (There is no evidence that she has income and an employer. Those properties in America were just placed in her name as a trustee. Those are gifts to her because she’s an intelligent girl, she’s a valedictorian in her school),” the lawyer said.
David said Jeane would likely stay at their house in Taguig during the hearing of the tax evasion case. “Hangga’t nandiyan ang kaso ni Jeane tatapusin niya. Noong nalaman nga niya ang kaso, hinarap niya, hindi siya sa nagtago (For as long as the case is ongoing, Jeane will be here until the end. When she learned about the case, she faced it and she did not hide),” he claimed. SFM/AC