P39M withdrawn from suspected Napoles account despite freeze order

(Updated 1:26 p.m., June 19) A company supposedly linked to alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles had used a window period between freeze orders to withdraw some P39 million from its bank account.

This was discovered Wednesday during the hearing at the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 22, which is hearing the government's forfeiture case against Napoles' assets.

A report on “24 Oras” on Wednesday said the first Provisional Assets Preservation Order (PAPO) issued against the suspected Napoles accounts lapsed on May 26, 2014. However, a second PAPO was not issued until June 6, 2014.



Due to the delay in the Anti-Money Laundering Council's (AMLC) request for another PAPO, P39 million of the P46 million deposited in the firm's account at the United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) was withdrawn in May, a bank official reportedly told the court.

Manila RTC Branch 22 Presiding Judge Marino dela Cruz asked the AMLC through the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to explain the circumstances that led to the delay in asking for another PAPO.

According to the report, the UCPB was able to get formal confirmation from AMLC that the freeze order has already lapsed.

“Allegedly, they (UCPB) were able to obtain a confirmation that the freeze order's been lifted. We have to confirm the confirmation,” lawyer Isar Pepito of the OSG in the report.

AMLC admitted to the delay in requesting for another PAPO, saying the window period happened because it was gathering evidence for the civil forfeiture case.

According to a motion submitted by the First Integrated Bonding and Insurance Co., Inc., Napoles only owns a small portion of the company.

It said the freeze order must only cover her portion since the content of the UCPB account was “properly accounted for and is well within the legitimate capital, resources and sources of legitimate funds.”

Napoles, currently detained at Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna, is facing plunder and graft charges before the Sandiganbayan for the P10-B pork barrel scam where lawmakers' Priority Development Assistance Fund allocations were allegedly diverted to fake non-government organizations. 

According to the Ombudsman, the scam went on for a decade with fake NGOs receiving funding for agricultural and livelihood projects that either did not exist or were grossly overpriced.

Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. are among Napoles' co-accused in the cases. — Rie Takumi and Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK/KG, GMA News