Janet Lim-Napoles waives appearance at trials

MANILA, Philippines — Convicted plunderer Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged brains behind the multibillion-peso pork barrel fund scam, no longer wishes to attend the continuation of the trial of her pending multiple cases at the Sandiganbayan.

In her waiver of appearance dated Feb. 26, Napoles informed the Sandiganbayan’s First Division that she is “hereby waiving her right to be present during the trial of the subject cases and the court may, therefore, proceed with the trial even in (her) absence.”

“That every time her name is mentioned in the course of the trial, she agrees that said name pertains to her and that she will not dispute her identity with such name,” the waiver added.

Napoles was referring to the trial of her 25 pork barrel scam-related cases at the First Division, which include 16 counts of graft as co-accused of former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., as well as three counts each of graft, malversation of public funds and direct bribery as co-accused of former Cagayan de Oro City congressman Constantino Jaraula.

Napoles, however, clarified she still “commits to appear before this court whenever so required by this court.”

Multiple cases

Napoles is also facing multiple cases in other divisions of the Sandiganbayan as co-accused of several incumbent and former lawmakers in connection with the alleged misuse of their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel.

She is specifically named as co-accused in the plunder cases of former senators Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile as well as former Masbate representative and governor Rizalina Seachon-Lanete and former Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives representative Edgar Valdez.

This is on top of her 194 criminal cases in connection with the equally controversial P900-million Malampaya fund scam.

Sandiganbayan records, however, showed Napoles has yet to file her waiver of appearance with other court divisions.

Napoles is currently detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City after the First Division, in December last year, convicted her of plunder in connection with the misuse of P517 million in PDAF of Revilla.

Convicted with Napoles was Revilla’s former staff member Richard Cambe, but the former senator, the primary accused in the case, was acquitted.

Last March 13, the First Division denied Napoles’ motion for reconsideration on her conviction.

Allowed to leave

Napoles filed her waiver of appearance even after the Supreme Court recently issued a resolution allowing her to occasionally leave her detention cell in order to attend the Sandiganbayan proceedings in Quezon City.

The SC issued the resolution upon the letter-requests of the Sandiganbayan divisions that Napoles be exempted from the high tribunal’s 2013 circular.

Under the SC’s administrative circular, a prisoner committed to a national penitentiary following his or her conviction may not be transported outside without the high tribunal’s express authority.

The SC issued the resolution amid the postponement of several hearings at the Sandiganbayan due to Napoles’ absence.