Napoles just one of 181 prisoners

Janet Lim-Napoles. POOL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Two days after she was found guilty by a Makati court of illegally detaining Benhur Luy for three months, Janet Lim-Napoles was transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, where she will serve her sentence of reclusion perpetua, or life imprisonment.

Napoles arrived at the penal facility at 1:38 a.m. on Thursday, accompanied by seven Bureau of Corrections officials and her husband, Jaime, according to the CIW officer in charge, Edilinda Patac.

An entry in a logbook indicated that Stephen David, one of Napoles’ lawyers, arrived at the facility around the same time.

In a video released by the CIW to the media, Napoles was seen wearing a stylish hat, a printed blouse, jeans and sneakers when she arrived.

“Documents were checked, the commitment order, decision of the case and the medical examination of a government doctor,” Patac said.

After this procedure, Napoles had her fingerprints and mugshots taken, and then she changed into the orange garb of convicts sentenced to imprisonment of 20 years and above.

“After that, we searched her things because we don’t allow colored civilian clothes. We just allow white shirts and white pants or shorts for sleeping… We are the ones who give the tangerine-prescribed uniform,” Patac said.

Throughout the entire process that lasted about an hour, Napoles’ face could not be seen because much of it was covered by the hat she was wearing, said Patac.

When she was about to enter a “control gate,” she said Napoles “made a bow, like good morning.”

“Maybe someone had told her that I was the head. I met her but I have not communicated with her. Only my staff communicated with her,” Patac said.

At one point Napoles’ blood pressure, which was taken as standard operating procedure, registered at 130/90, a level that was “manageable.”

Around 3 a.m., Patac said Napoles was admitted as the 181st inmate at the reception diagnostics center which, along with several other dormitories that house inmates based on their status (students, elderly, psychiatric, etc.), is located in the maximum security compound.

Apart from the maximum security compound, the CIW has two other compounds—minimum and medium.

According to data from the CIW, as of April 14 there were 1,285 inmates in the maximum security compound (including the 181 in the reception diagnostics center, and 802 in the medium and 287 in the minimum compounds).

The reception diagnostics center is where “new arrivals” are first taken, Patac explained.

The cases of inmates there involve theft, estafa and illegal recruitment, among others.

“[The reception diagnostics area] is a big area. They have the sleeping quarters [and] a laundry area. Their bath [area] is big,” Patac said. Inmates sleep on “cushions” rather than beds as beds would not fit in the room.

But there were “spaces” between the cushions, she added quickly.

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