Napoles provisionally placed under WPP
The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed yesterday that alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles has been provisionally placed under its Witness Protection Program (WPP).
“We confirm that Janet L. Napoles has been placed under Provisional Admission of WPP subject to Affidavit she submitted which is now undergoing assessment,” said Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.
The DOJ refused to divulge the details of her provisional admission into the WPP.
Justice Undersecretary Erickson Balmes explained the “contents of her provisional admission is confidential.”
At the moment, the secretary admitted that Napoles is not yet under the custody of the DOJ.
“As of the moment, physically she is not under WPP due to provisional status of admission,” he explained. “If requested by subject we can provide additional security and as warranted, address medical needs,” Aguirre said.
Napoles is facing multiple charges before the Sandiganbayan including plunder and graft in connection with her involvement in the multi-billion pesos Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.
The DOJ has already issued a certification which stated that: “Janet LimNapoles has been provisionally covered by the Witness Protection Security and Benefit Program (WPSBP) effective February 27, 2018.”
The certification is signed by the Program Director, Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Ma. Nerissa MolinaCarpio. Napoles motion The “pork barrel scam” mastermind has filed an urgent motion before the Sandiganbayan First Division, seeking transfer of custody to the DOJ under its WPP.
In her motion, Napoles said that she was admitted on February 27 this year into the WPP. “To enable the DOJ to perform its duty to secure herein accused-movant, it is imperative that the custody over her person be transferred from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to the DOJ-WPP,” her motion read.
Under the provisions of RA 6981, the Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act, Napoles should be secured until she has testified. At the same time, she is also entitled to have a secure housing facility until the threat, intimidation or harassment against her person disappears or is at least reduced.
Senators outraged Even President Duterte’s strongest ally in the Senate, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, called the move “crazy.”
“What an unbelievable, crazy development. Do some people in the DOJ really believe that Janet Lim Napoles is qualified to be a state witness in the PDAF scam which she herself invented, organized and perpetuated?” Pimentel told reporters in a text message.
Sen. Bam Aquino called for Aguirre’s resignation as he cited also the recent dismissal of illegal drug charges on Cebu businessman Peter Lim, and selfconfessed drug trader Kerwin Espinosa by DOJ prosecutors as unacceptable.
“We’d like to remind the DOJ that their mandate is to enact justice for the Filipino people, not to protect drug lords and criminal masterminds... The DOJ must stop perpetrating the culture of impunity in our country and begin upholding the rule of law,” he added.
Sen. Riza Hontiveros described this latest development with Napoles as a travesty of justice.
Dissent In the House of Representatives, DOJ’s move on Napoles was also met with dissent.
Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin said that under Aguirre, the country’s justice system “is weaponized to go after the political opposition.”
“Now Napoles who masterminded the 110-B pork barrel scam is now admitted to the WPP,” lamented Villarin.
“The grand narrative is to silence any opposition to Duterte using DOJ’s prosecutorial powers, using discredited witnesses like convicted drug lords and Napoles as well as pseudo-justice crusaders like VACC (Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption),” said Villarin. (With reports from Vanne Elaine P. Terrazola, Mario Casayuran, and Ben R. Rosario)