Benhur Luy's sister says Reynald Lim threatened to kill whistleblower

The sister of whistleblower Benhur Luy testified Monday that Reynald Lim, the brother of alleged pork scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, once threatened to kill Benhur on suspicion that he was making money behind their back.

 

"Aminin mo na kung may transaction na hidden kay Ate (Janet). Aminin mo na kundi papatayin na kita," Anabelle Luy Reario quoted Reynald "Jojo" Lim as telling her brother. She made the testimony at the bail petition hearing for Napoles, who is currently in jail for the serious illegal detention case of Luy.

Lim, who is the co-accused in the case, remains at large.

Reario recalled that Lim was very angry and red-faced when he made the statement during a meeting on February 9, 2013 between her, Luy, his mother Gertrudes, and father Arturo at Lim's condominium unit at South Garden Pacific Plaza in Taguig City.

 

She told the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 in her testimony that it was the first time she saw Luy, who was allegedly detained by Lim and Napoles, after a prolonged period.

 

Luy's reaction to Lim's statement was: "Kuya, wala. Kuya Jo, wala."

 

"Benhur, kung meron kang transaction, sabihin mo na," Lim reiterated, according to the witness.

 

"Alam mo pag hindi ka umamin, convicted criminal na ako at sabi ni Ate hina-hunting ka na ng mga senador at mayor," she recalled Lim as further saying.

 

She said that Lim also threatened Luy that he will endorse the latter to a lawyer to put him in jail if he would not admit to conducting hidden transactions.

Teary-eyed

 

Reario was teary-eyed at some point during her testimony, especially when she recalled how Luy was making an emotional appeal to them to get him out of Napoles' custody.

 

"Acheng Beng, tubusin nyo na ako kay Madam (Janet). Nanlalambot na ang tuhod ko, nagdurugo ang puso ko. Antagal-tagal na kasi, ano ba ang ginagawa nyo," she recalled Luy telling her over the phone.

 

The second time they saw Luy was on February 23, also in Lim's condominium unit.

 

Reario said she noticed that Luy seemed to have lost his energy- he had long hair and had grown his beard.

 

It was during this second meeting that Luy secretly inserted in Reario's back pocket a letter asking his family to pray and seek forgiveness from the Napoles family.

 

Lim also reiterated during the meeting that if Luy would not admit his hidden transactions, "handa ako pumatay para sa Ate ko."

 

Another co-worker of Luy was presented by the prosecution panel to prove that Napoles detained the former.

 

Mary Arlene Baltazar was wearing a bullet-proof vest when she was presented as a witness for the prosecution.

 

She said that on Dec. 19 last year, Napoles went hysterical and was very angry with Luy.

 

She said Napoles suspected that Luy was having transactions similar to what her company was doing.

 

Asked what these transactions were, Baltazar said "yung mga projects sa PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund)."

Plunder charges

 

Luy was allegedly detained for three months after Napoles found out that he supposedly secured a P5.5-million loan using her name and without her authorization. Napoles has also accused Luy of stealing P300,000 that he was supposed to deposit to her account.

 

Luy's camp, however, insisted that he was taken against his will so he would not be able to spill the beans on Napoles' anomalous transactions. These consisted of allegedly diverting P10 billion from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of lawmakers through her non-existent foundations for alleged ghost projects.

 

The NBI filed plunder and malversation charges against Napoles, who allegedly conspired with lawmakers and former and present government officials in connection with the pork barrel scam.

 

Napoles and Lim were ordered arrested on August 14 in connection with the illegal detention case. The two went into hiding but two weeks later, Napoles surrendered to President Aquino hours after he announced a P10-million reward for any information leading to her arrest.

 

Napoles, who also currently faces three plunder charges before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the porl barrel scam and the Malampaya fund mess, is detained at Fort Sto, Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna,

 

The bail hearing is ongoing, as of posting time. — RSJ, GMA News