Janet Lim-Napoles. Mark Balmores/Pool
MANILA, Philippines鈥揇etained businesswoman and alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles听was transferred by authorities late Monday听night to a regular detention cell in Camp听Bagong听Diwa听in听Taguig听City.
Napoles鈥揺scorted by a high-security convoy from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, Special Action Force, Highway Patrol Group and the health service鈥揳rrived in the police camp past听11 p.m.
Napoles, who is detained on charges of serious illegal detention, graft and plunder, was finally transferred to a regular jail Monday night after the Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) hearing the illegal detention case against听Napoles听said 鈥渋t does not interpose any objection鈥� to the听Sandiganbayan听Third Division鈥檚 resolution directing听Napoles鈥� transfer from Fort听Sto. Domingo to Camp听Bagong听Diwa.
Napoles听was supposed to be transferred last Friday to听Taguig听but it was aborted since the PNP still had to clarify with the Makati RTC about her transfer.
In a three-page comment to the听Sandiganbayan, Makati RTC Judge Elmo Alameda said there was 鈥渘o conflict鈥� between the order of the听antigraft听court and the position of the Makati RTC which, he noted, initially ordered听Napoles听to be detained at the Makati City Jail.
Alameda noted that Fort听Sto. Domingo was not her original place of detention.
鈥淩ecords of RTC Branch 150 will clearly show that the court directed the detention of the accused at the Makati City Jail,鈥� Alameda said.
On Friday, the Third Division said that听Napoles听should be detained at 鈥渢he jail nearest to the court.鈥�
It added that the Fort听Sto. Domingo facility was 鈥渘ot under the jurisdiction of the BJMP, hence it is not a jail.鈥�
In a manifestation submitted to the Makati RTC on Monday,听Napoles鈥� camp requested the court to 鈥渕aintain鈥� and 鈥渦phold鈥� its prior commitment order which directed听Napoles鈥� detention at Fort听Sto. Domingo.
But Alameda said that with his released comment, the filed manifestation would not anymore be heard and would only be noted in court.
The Makati judge also noted that his comment was a clear go-signal that听Napoles听could already be transferred to the BJMP facility in听Taguig.鈥揥ith reports from听Julie M. Aurelio and听Maricar听B.听Brizuela, Philippine Daily Inquirer听
Originally posted: 11:20 pm | Monday, July 28th, 2014
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