By Jeffrey Damicog
The daughter and co-defendant of alleged pork barrel scam brains Janet Lim Napoles in the money laundering indictments in the United States has already fled the Philippines.
Jeane Catherine Napoles
(MANILA BULLETIN) Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra revealed this Friday after receiving information from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) that Napoles’ daughter, Jeane Catherine, is no longer in the country. “Catherine left last July 27,” he told reporters. But Guevarra said the BI was not able to provide more details of Jeane Catherine’s destination. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced last Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time) that it will seek the extradition of those indicted by a federal grand jury with Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, Domestic Money Laundering and International Money Laundering in connection with money believed to have been funneled from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam. Also included in the US indictment are Mrs. Napoles’ other children, Jo Christine and James Christopher; her brother, ReynaldLuy Lim; and Reynald’s wife Ana Marie Lim. Napoles, Jo Christine, and James Christopher are also facing multiple charges before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the pork barrel scam. Napoles is currently detained at Camp BagongDiwa in Taguig City. Jeane Catherine’s P17-million tax evasion case has already been dismissed by the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA). Guevarra also confirmed that Reynald and Ana Marie are still in the country. He said that DOJ Philippines has no power to stop anyone not facing any charges in court from leaving the country. “Pursuant to the recent decision of the Supreme Court, the DOJ has no statutory power to restrain the travel of persons of interest, especially if they are not facing any investigation here,” Guevarra lamented. “But considering that an indictment has already been made in US courts, the US government has ways of tracking down the defendants anywhere, including tapping the assistance of the Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization),” he pointed out. Guevarra assured the US government that the Philippines will extend assistance should it request the extradition of the personalities charged in the US courts. “Should the US request their extradition, and they are not facing any court cases here, we will evaluate and commence the appropriate proceedings,” he said. US indictment welcomed Meanwhile, Malacañang and detained Sen. Leila de Lima welcomed the decision of the United States federal grand jury to indict Napoles and her kin for allegedly laundering some US$20 million in public funds. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque issued the after the DOJ confirmed that Napoles, three of her children, and her brother and her sister-in-law have been indicted for conspiracy to commit money laundering, domestic money laundering, and international money laundering. Roque, in a statement Thursday evening, said the Palace views the indictment as a positive development as it bolsters the government’s case against the pork barrel scam mastermind before the Sandiganbayan. “The charge of money laundering against Mrs. Napoles and her co-defendants shows that there is reason to believe that they attempted to retain the ill-gotten gains from the PDAF scam,” Roque said. “With the help of US authorities, who have been in continuous coordination with our government, the funds that Mrs. Napoles and her co-defendants attempted to hide away will soon be returned for the benefit of the Filipino people,” he added. Roque also hopes that the indictment also proves that those who were in cahoots with Napoles in her other schemes, particularly the pork barrel scam, should also be charged. “As more of Mrs. Napoles’ schemes come to light, it becomes imperative to charge all those who illegally profited from her transactions, regardless of their position or political affiliation,” he said. De Lima, a former Justice secretary, said she welcomes this latest development as it only reinforced the Aquino government’s efforts to prosecute the key players in the controversial PDAF scam where some lawmakers were implicated for allegedly funneling their pork allocations to bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) owned by Napoles. “The indictment of Napoles and her family by a US grand jury is a result of the coordination of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Ombudsman with the US Government during the time the PDAF investigations were being undertaken,” De Lima said in a statement. (With reports from Argyll Geducos and Hannah Torregoza)
Jeane Catherine Napoles(MANILA BULLETIN) Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra revealed this Friday after receiving information from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) that Napoles’ daughter, Jeane Catherine, is no longer in the country. “Catherine left last July 27,” he told reporters. But Guevarra said the BI was not able to provide more details of Jeane Catherine’s destination. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced last Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time) that it will seek the extradition of those indicted by a federal grand jury with Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, Domestic Money Laundering and International Money Laundering in connection with money believed to have been funneled from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam. Also included in the US indictment are Mrs. Napoles’ other children, Jo Christine and James Christopher; her brother, ReynaldLuy Lim; and Reynald’s wife Ana Marie Lim. Napoles, Jo Christine, and James Christopher are also facing multiple charges before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the pork barrel scam. Napoles is currently detained at Camp BagongDiwa in Taguig City. Jeane Catherine’s P17-million tax evasion case has already been dismissed by the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA). Guevarra also confirmed that Reynald and Ana Marie are still in the country. He said that DOJ Philippines has no power to stop anyone not facing any charges in court from leaving the country. “Pursuant to the recent decision of the Supreme Court, the DOJ has no statutory power to restrain the travel of persons of interest, especially if they are not facing any investigation here,” Guevarra lamented. “But considering that an indictment has already been made in US courts, the US government has ways of tracking down the defendants anywhere, including tapping the assistance of the Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization),” he pointed out. Guevarra assured the US government that the Philippines will extend assistance should it request the extradition of the personalities charged in the US courts. “Should the US request their extradition, and they are not facing any court cases here, we will evaluate and commence the appropriate proceedings,” he said. US indictment welcomed Meanwhile, Malacañang and detained Sen. Leila de Lima welcomed the decision of the United States federal grand jury to indict Napoles and her kin for allegedly laundering some US$20 million in public funds. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque issued the after the DOJ confirmed that Napoles, three of her children, and her brother and her sister-in-law have been indicted for conspiracy to commit money laundering, domestic money laundering, and international money laundering. Roque, in a statement Thursday evening, said the Palace views the indictment as a positive development as it bolsters the government’s case against the pork barrel scam mastermind before the Sandiganbayan. “The charge of money laundering against Mrs. Napoles and her co-defendants shows that there is reason to believe that they attempted to retain the ill-gotten gains from the PDAF scam,” Roque said. “With the help of US authorities, who have been in continuous coordination with our government, the funds that Mrs. Napoles and her co-defendants attempted to hide away will soon be returned for the benefit of the Filipino people,” he added. Roque also hopes that the indictment also proves that those who were in cahoots with Napoles in her other schemes, particularly the pork barrel scam, should also be charged. “As more of Mrs. Napoles’ schemes come to light, it becomes imperative to charge all those who illegally profited from her transactions, regardless of their position or political affiliation,” he said. De Lima, a former Justice secretary, said she welcomes this latest development as it only reinforced the Aquino government’s efforts to prosecute the key players in the controversial PDAF scam where some lawmakers were implicated for allegedly funneling their pork allocations to bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) owned by Napoles. “The indictment of Napoles and her family by a US grand jury is a result of the coordination of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Ombudsman with the US Government during the time the PDAF investigations were being undertaken,” De Lima said in a statement. (With reports from Argyll Geducos and Hannah Torregoza)