Sandigan gets SC nod for Napoles to attend PDAF, Malampaya scam cases

The Sandiganbayan has secured the approval of the Supreme Court for convicted plunderer Janet Lim Napoles to leave her detention cell and attend her pending cases on the pork barrel and Malampaya fund scams.

The Sandiganbayan received a notice signed by clerk of court Edgar Aricheta on March 22, saying the SC has granted the “request for exemption” of the anti-graft court in its resolution dated January 29.

Aricheta said the SC ruled to “continue the conduct in the Sandiganbayan of the proceedings involving Janet Lim Napoles as an accused and allow the latter to be transported to and from the Sandiganbayan whenever her presence will be required.”

The First Division found Napoles guilty of misusing of the P224.5-million Priority Development Assistance Fund, or pork barrel, of former Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. last year.

She was then committed to the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, thus making her a "national prisoner" who needs SC approval so she can attend hearings at the Sandiganbayan for her other cases. Otherwise, the trial will be held at the CIW.

The lack of a formal notice has forced the deferment of several cases, including the graft trials of Revilla and former Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and the arraignment of Napoles on the P900-million Malampaya scam.

Three divisions where Napoles has pending cases thus wrote to the SC in January for an authority to proceed, while one division sent a request last month.

The First Division was supposed to proceed with the trial of Revilla on Thursday amid the SC authority, but it deferred the hearing to April 11 due to the absence of some parties in the defense.

Napoles faces four plunder charges and at least 100 counts of graft at the Sandiganbayan. — MDM, GMA News