Janet Lim-Napoles. INQUIRER FILE
President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration should pursue the criminal prosecution of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles “instead of using the people’s money to give her refuge and protection,” the Liberal Party (LP) said on Tuesday.
“The wheels of justice have started on the case of Napoles. The government must pursue her criminal prosecution, instead of using the people’s money to give her refuge and protection through the Witness Protection Program (WPP). To do so would be a great mockery of justice,” LP said in a statement.
The statement of the opposition political party came after Napoles’ lead counsel Stephen David told reporters that he filed the motion for his client’s transfer of custody after consulting Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.
READ: Napoles says Palace gave her legal advice
“Ang meeting namin about, na-admit na kasi siya sa WPP kasi nga ang gusto sana namin eh ilipat na sya pero sabi nga nila, sabi ni ES, nag-meeting kami concerning dun after na-admit sya sa WPP. Ang sabi nya, ang sabi nila, mag-file nung motion. Pinag-usapan namin whether or not magpa-file ba nung motion, yan lang,” David said.
LP questioned the motive of the top officials reaching out to Napoles.
“What prompted these top officials to reach out to an alleged mastermind of a multi-billion-peso scam? Who sanctioned this? Malacanang’s statement that the President is taking a hands-off stance on this appears not to jibe with the actions of his top executives,” it said.
“Bakit pag mahirap na suspek, patay agad, pero pag mayamang may kapit, pro-proteksyunan pa ng estado? Tama ba yan?” it asked.
But Medialdea denied the statement of Napoles’ lawyer, saying: “Why would I give a legal advice to a lawyer for his client? If I were his client, I will fire him.”
READ: Medialdea rebuts Napoles lawyer: ‘Why would I give legal advice for his client?’
Napoles was temporarily granted protection starting Feb. 27, 2018 after she executed an affidavit which is now undergoing assessment by the Department of Justice (DOJ). /cbb
READ: Napoles, pork scam ‘brains,’ gets gov’t protection