Chiong admits sister is Napoles advisor

CONTROVERSIAL businesswoman Janet Lim- Napoles hired a Cebuana consultant who worked for the Estradas months before the pork barrel scam controversy broke out.

Cheryl Jimenea was hired early this year by Napoles as her consultant, her elder sister Thelma Chiong confirmed yesterday.

Chiong heads the Crusade Against Violence, an advocacy she took on after the kidnap, rape and murders of her two daughters in 1997.

She confirmed that her younger sister is Napoles’ consultant and close friend: “She’s only called up when needed.”

Jimenea was seen with a lawyer during the alleged pay-off arranged by Napoles in a Chinese restaurant in the Ayala Trinoma mall in Quezon City before her surrender.

Mrs. Chiong defended her sister.

“That’s not true, the story’s not true, it is a lie,” she said in a radio interview. Chiong said Jimenea was just a victim of envy by other people who worked for the Napoles couple. “They’re jealous because Cheryl is a longtime friend of Janet Napoles,” Chiong said.

Asked how the two be came friends, Chiong recalled that her sister worked as secretary of then President Joseph Estrada then later worked at the office of Estrada’s son, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

“Nahibawo naman ka sa mga dato’ng tawo moduol og mga politiko, ma-amiga man gyud nimo (You know how the rich would approach the politicians to befriend them),” Chiong said.