MANILA – The Sandiganbayan denied on Friday the appeal of convicted plunderer Janet Lim Napoles to remain in her detention cell at Camp Bagong Diwa in Quezon City and affirmed its order to transfer her to the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.
First Division chairperson Associate Justice Efren dela Cruz denied the urgent motion for reconsideration of the camp of Napoles in open court.
The Sandiganbayan directed the transfer of Napoles to the CIW in a commitment order issued on Dec. 28, but her lawyer Erwin Legaspi said the alleged mastermind of the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam remains at Camp Bagong Diwa as of Jan. 3.
Legaspi argued the order seemed irregular because it was Associate Justice Edgardo Caldona who signed the document as the “chairperson” even if he is not.
However, Dela Cruz rebuked him, saying the internal rules of the Sandiganbayan allows Caldona to stand as the division chief in case the chairperson and the senior member are on official leave.
“Considering that both the chairperson and senior member of the court at that time were on official leave, there is nothing wrong with the mittimus (commitment order),” Dela Cruz said.
Caldona, for his part, did not say anything during the proceedings.
The Sandiganbayan also ordered the prosecution to file its comment within 10 days on the motion for reconsideration of Napoles on her guilty verdict.
Napoles was sentenced to reclusion perpetua for her alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund, or pork barrel, of former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. worth P224.5 million from 2006 to 2010.
On the other hand, the Sandiganbayan acquitted Revilla after the prosecution failed to prove he amassed ill-gotten wealth by channeling his PDAF to the Napoles-led foundations. (With GMA News/PN)
