AMLC: Pasig City court convicts Napoles of 13 counts of money laundering

A Pasig City court has found Janet Napoles guilty of 13 counts of money laundering in connection with her alleged orchestration of the 2013 Priority Development Assistance Fund scam, the Anti-Money Laundering Council said on Thursday.

In a decision dated October 1, the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 158 sentenced Napoles to seven to 14 years imprisonment for each count of money laundering, or a prison term that may reach up to 154 years.

In a statement, the AMLC said the court also ordered Napoles to pay a P 94.15 million fine, although the AMLC said the conviction can still be appealed.

The AMLC and the Department of Justice jointly initiated and prosecuted the money laundering raps against Napoles.

The Pasig City court found that Napoles planned a scheme involving the creation of bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) to receive pork barrel funds for ghost projects.

“By making it appear that the funds originated from legitimate sources, Napoles concealed its criminal origin – an act that fully satisfied the elements of money laundering under the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001,” the AMLC said.

This is the second conviction secured by the AMLC against Napoles in connection with her role as the alleged mastermind of the PDAF or pork barrel scam in 2013.

In 2024, the Manila RTC Branch 24 also handed down a sentence of seven to 14 years behind bars against Napoles and meted her a fine of P 16 million.

The AMLC said the earlier conviction similarly affirmed the AMLC’s effectiveness in prosecuting money laundering cases linked to corruption.

On Thursday, the AMLC called the second conviction another milestone in the fight against corruption and financial crimes, adding that it came at a time “when the AMLC is intensifying its efforts to investigate financial crimes tied to the flood control project controversy.”

“This sends a strong message: those who abuse public funds will be held accountable,” said AMLC executive director Atty. Matthew David.

David added that the AMLC “welcomes this court decision as a demonstration of AMLC’s relentless pursuit of individuals who exploit the financial system to conceal corruption.”

The AMLC also vowed to continue its campaign to hold accountable “those who abuse public trust and divert resources meant for national development.” — JMA, GMA Integrated News