BuCor ready to bring Napoles to Sandigan every hearing

Janet Lim-Napoles. MARC CAYABYAB/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) will be prepared to bring the Janet Lim Napoles regularly to her court dates at the Sandiganbayan, with the Supreme Court allowing her hearings to be held in court instead of the correctional facility.

“We defer to the Supreme court on that. No problem with us. BuCor will be ready,” said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima when reached by text message.

BuCor is under the Department of Justice.

The agency’s Director Franklin Jesus Bucayu said his office would make necessary adjustments in terms of equipment and personnel to secure Napoles’ transport.

“We’ll comply with Supreme Court decision, if the hearing will be held at Sandiganbayan. Yes, we’re ready and we’ll just need some upgrade in our security equipment and procedures,” said Bucayu.

On Friday, the Supreme Court granted the request of Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang for Napoles to be brought from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW)  in Mandaluyong City to the anti-graft court in Quezon City for hearings on her pending plunder and graft cases.

Napoles, the alleged brains behind the P10-billion pork barrel scam, was transferred from detention to the CIW last week, after she was sentenced to up to 40 years in jail for illegally detaining her cousin Benhur Luy.

Luy is the primary witness against Napoles and was first to bring the scheme to surface, tagging other lawmakers in the fund diversion racket.

In her request, Tang had cited “impracticality” and security concerns if Sandiganbayan justices were to regularly travel to the women’s prison and bring all court records every hearing date. The high court found her reasons “well-taken.”

The anti-graft court’s Third Division held its first proceedings at the CIW  Friday  morning, pushing through with an on-site hearing when the high court had yet to release its decision granting Tang’s request.  The court resolution came out past  11 a.m.

Asked if such regular transport of a high-profile inmate might present a strain to BuCor’s personnel and budget, Bucayu said: “You’re right. We’re preparing for it, just in case.”

He said the Bucor would coordinate with other law enforcement agencies for the transport, which would likely involve similar highly-secured convoys that brought Napoles from Camp Bagong Diwa to Sandiganbayan when she was still a detainee.