Napoles daughter arraigned but refuses to enter plea

The daughter of suspected pork barrel scam architect Janet Lim-Napoles on Wednesday declined anew to enter a plea during her arraignment in a P17.5-million tax evasion case against her in the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA).

Jeane Napoles, 25, ducked and covered her face with a paper folder while her security escorts shielded her from the media as she entered the CTA Third Division for the 1:30 p.m. court proceeding.

Napoles’ daughter, who earned the ire of netizens after she posted photos of her affluent lifestyle on the Internet as news of an alleged

P10-billion pork barrel scam involving her mother broke out in 2013, is facing criminal charges for her failure to pay taxes to the government in 2011.

“As advised by my counsel, I refuse to enter a plea,” Jeane Napoles said after a court clerk read the criminal information against her.

Associate Justice Esperanza Fabon-Victorino entered a not guilty plea on her behalf.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue that accused the younger Napoles of evading to pay income taxes in the purchase of a P54.8-million condominium unit in Los Angeles, California.

Her lawyer, Stephen David, said the Department of Justice erred in ordering his client’s indictment since she was just a student at the time she allegedly failed to settle her taxes.

“She did not have a job. Why does she have to pay taxes?” David told reporters, adding that the condominium unit was purchased by her parents.

David said her client did not enter a plea because a petition had been filed in the Supreme Court questioning her indictment.

He said a motion also had been filed seeking to reverse the tax court’s finding of probable cause.

On May 27, Jeane Napoles likewise refused to enter a plea on a separate case for her failure to file an income tax return.