Napoles lawyer bares Palace meeting with Medialdea, Aguirre

The lead defense counsel in the pork barrel scam case on Monday said he met with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II days after alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles was provisionally placed under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).

Interviewed by reporters at the Sandiganbayan, lawyer Stephen David said he initially wanted Napoles to be transferred to the WPP even without the consent of the Sandiganbayan, but Medialdea and Aguirre "overruled" his move and urged him to file a motion before the anti-graft court.

"Ang meeting namin, na-admit na kasi siya (Napoles) sa WPP kasi nga ang gusto sana namin ay ilipat na siya. Pero sabi nga nila, sabi ni ES, nag-meeting kami concerning after na-admit siya, ang sabi nila, kailangan kang mag-file ng motion, ang pinag-usapan namin whether or not magfa-file ba siya ng motion," David told reporters after the proceedings at the Third Division.

David said he wanted to transfer Napoles from Camp Bagong Diwa "to a secure facility and later on just inform the court that we did this, and they (Aguirre and Medialdea) didn't like that." 

He said the meeting took place in Malacañang.

David said he sought the meeting with the two Cabinet officials out of confusion on their next legal action after Napoles was provisionally admitted to the WPP on February 27.

"We are in a situation where we don't know what to do. Is she being immediately taken out of the facility, or shall we file a motion? That's why we have to consult people in authority as to what to do," he said.

David also admitted to the meeting during the proceedings at the Third Division when he was asked by Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang on updates from the DOJ.

“There was a discussion with the Executive Secretary that the DOJ shall take custody of Mrs. Napoles. Because of that, I sought to write on the matter,” David said.

Tang, however, said based on the implementing rules and regulations of the Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act, Napoles could no longer be admitted to the WPP since she is already in detention.

Tang also rebuked David on his claims of harassment against his client at the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) at Camp Bagong Diwa.

"Mrs. Napoles has been at the BJMP, which the court believes is a secure facility. She has been in detention for quite sometime and the court has not received any information on any kind of threat," Tang said.

Similar to the First and Fifth Divisions, Tang gave the prosecution 10 days to file their comment on the urgent motion of Napoles.

Prosecutor Cornelio Somido said the Sandiganbayan "should not be bothered" by the motion as it hears the cases of Napoles on the multi-billion-peso scheme. —KBK, GMA News