Janet Napoles ordered detained at women’s correctional in Mandaluyong

Makati Judge Elmo Alameda issued a commitment order transferring Janet Lim Napoles to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, hours after she was convicted of serious illegal detention.

In a letter addressed to the Director, Alameda said Napoles is to serve her sentence at the facility.

“Whereas, on April 14, 2015 the Court promulgated judgment of conviction. Now, therefore, the Court commits the person of Janet Napoles y Lim, for the service of sentence imposed on her,” Alameda said.

The Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 on Tuesday sentenced Napoles to reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years in jail after she was found guilty of serious illegal detention.

Napoles was also ordered to pay P50,000 in moral damages and another P50,000 in civil damages.

Napoles and her brother Reynald Jojo Lim were accused of detaining their cousin and her former employee Benhur Luy for three months.

Lim, on the other hand, remains at large and was never arraigned.

Luy, who was rescued in March 2013, was allegedly detained after Napoles found out that he 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.

Luy went on to become the primary whistleblower and the government star witness in the graft and plunder cases filed against Napoles before the Sandiganbayan.

Napoles, along with several lawmakers, are facing charges for allegedly conspiring with each other to defraud the government of millions in public funds.

Among those who were charged with plunder and are now detained in connection with the pork barrel scam are senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr., and Jinggoy Estrada.

Napoles and Lim were ordered arrested in August of 2013 over the illegal detention case.

The two went into hiding but two weeks later, Napoles surrendered to President Benigno Aquino III hours after he announced a P10-million reward for any information leading to her arrest.

Napoles intends to appeal the ruling, her lawyers said. —NB, GMA News