Napoles' lawyer releases affidavits of priests disputing 'kidnapping' charge

 

In this latest plot twist in the pork barrel scam saga, the six priests, including Monsignor Josefino S. Ramirez, said Benhur Luy, who has accused Napoles of kidnapping him and detaining him at the priests' residence, “never sought assistance from us nor did he ever tell us that someone is preventing him from leaving Bahay ni San Jose.

 

Bahay ni San Jose is a residential facility for priests, some of whom come from Mainland China. Msgr. Ramirez is spiritual director of the Divine Mercy Movement and identified in the affidavit as “founder of Divine Mercy Asia”.

 

The joint affidavit is dated April 15, 2013 and was “subscribed and sworn to” before Pasig City Assistant City Prosecutor Michael E. Robles.

 

The joint affidavit was signed by Msgr. Ramirez, Fathers Paul Yang, Peter Guo, Joseph Gao, John Ma, Paul Do, all from mainland China and taking up post-graduate studies in Manila and Abelardo Gernale Jr, driver and personal assistant of Ramirez.

Tagle to initiate internal probe
 

Meanwhile, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said an internal investigation on the circumstances of the involvement of the priests with Janet Lim-Napoles will be conducted.

 

Cardinal Tagle said the probe will commence as soon as they are able to gather needed information.


 

The cardinal had earlier described the pork barrel scam, in which Napoles was implicated, as a hearbreaking, "intricate web of corruption."

 

Tagle, also known as the "crying cardinal" broke into tears when he dared politicians and other personalities linked to the “intricate web” of corruption to visit the poor and slum areas.

 

“Who will not be shocked with these reports and with the magnitude of money involved? ... It’s like your heart is broken into pieces. Can one really do this to one’s neighbor? Can one really stomach causing this kind of damage on the country?” he said.

 

Tagle said those accused should get a feel of how the poor live so that they would know how to spend the PDAF properly.

 

Kapunan submitted the affidavit to the Makati regional trial court an affidavit for the serious illegal detention case filed by Luy.

 

On August 14, Makati RTC Branch 150 issued a warrant of arrest against Napoles and her brother Lim.

 

In the affidavit, the priests and Gernale said that in the morning of December 20, 2012, Napoles' brother, Reynald Lim talked to Ramirez to inquire on the possibility of Luy staying at the Bahay ni San Jose. Luy was with Lim that time.

 

They said Ramirez welcomed Luy and they discussed his problems and need for “pagbabagong-buhay.”

 

During the conversation, the priests said Luy would repeatedly thank Lim for helping him. Luy also told Ramirez that he wanted to think things over and he was grateful and appreciative for the chance to reflect, the priests said.

 

The priests said they know Luy because they have met him on several occasions.

 

Luy's stay was intended to give him solitude and the opportunity for personal reflection and soul searching but “it was never impressed upon us either directly or indirectly that Benhur should be detained or kept inside the premises of Bahay San Jose.”

 

They said there was no instruction to prohibit Luy's movements and can go out anytime but they observed that the latter would only go out if Lim would fetch him.

 

“We are aware that Benhur is an active member of the Neo Catechumenate, a religious group that values the importance of solitude and meditation. We thus respected and refrained from initiating conversation with Benhur during his stay at Bahay ni San Jose, unless he would speak or initiate conversation with us,” the seven said.

 

They also said Luy can freely move and use the retreat house' facilities including a landline phone in the receiving area.

 

They said that Luy never sought their assistance nor told them that someone is preventing him from leaving Bahay ni San Jose and he wanted to see or talk to someone. Luy also did not attempt to leave the retreat house's premises, they said.

 

In one instance, when Luy's mother, Gertrudes, and brother, Tata, went to Bahay ni San Jose, the former refused to meet them.

 

When asked why he did not talk to his mother and brother, Luy allegedly said that: “Ayaw ko munang makita at sumama sa kanila.”

 

On March 22, Lim fetched Luy and since then they have not returned to Bahay ni San Jose.

 

The priests said when they cleaned and checked Luy's room, his clothes and personnel belongings were still there as well as his handwritten notes and reflections.

 

Another priest's affidavit

 

Meanwhile, in a separate affidavit, Father Peter Lavin, moderator of Alagad ni Maria Seminary in Antipolo City, said that on December 20, 2012 he concelebrated a mass with Ramirez at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City in honor of the birthday of Lim family's matriarch.

 

After the mass, Reynald approached him and discussed Luy's problems and desire to undergo a spiritual retreat. Lavin said he knows Luy personally.

 

He said he offered to be Luy's spiritual adviser.

 

Since Luy decided to stay at Bahay ni San Jose, Lavin, on numerous occasions would go there to check on his development and offer spiritual guidance. He said he was happy to see Luy taking his retreat seriously.

 

“I was surprised to find out that he has complained of being detained because he never showed any signs of discomfort and never told me that he didn't want to be there,” Lavin said in his affidavit.

 

Assertion of Luy and his immediate relatives

 

Napoles was accused of taking Luy, a probable witness in the alleged scam, against his will and detaining him inside her condominium unit in Taguig City.

 

In a March 1 letter to De Lima, Luy's relatives asked for help in ensuring his safety. They claimed Luy was illegally detained by Napoles and her brother "to ensure that nobody can directly implicate (the siblings) with the ongoing issues on the fertilizer fund scam, Malampaya fund scam, and anomalies in the implementation of several PDAF-funded projects."

 

On orders of de Lima, NBI agents "rescued" Luy last March 22 at the Pacific Plaza Tower.

 

In their complaint, Luy's family claimed they were only allowed by Napoles and Lim to see and visit Luy twice since he was "abducted" on Dec. 19, 2012. It was during the second visit that Luy "surreptitiously handed his hand-written note indicating that he is being detained against his will."

 

Luy earlier accused Napoles of diverting some P10 billion from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of senators and congressmen to her account through non-government organizations she established.  — Amita Legaspi/ELR, GMA News