The Court of Appeals has ordered the freezing of 100 bank accounts of Janet Lim Napoles, the alleged brains in the priority development assistance funds’ (PDAF) misuse scandal.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the court issued the order based on a petition of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
The order, effective for six months, also covers the accounts of Napoles’ companies, husband Jaime Garcia, and their children and relatives, De Lima said.
The AMLC, through the office of the solicitor general, said in its petition the assets might have been involved in the P10bn controversy that is the subject of a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) probe.
Covered by the order is Napoles’ Metrobank account, where several fake non-government organisations allegedly deposited some P53mn from funds allocated to lawmakers and government agencies.
It was reported that aside from her liquid assets, Napoles reportedly owns 28 properties and 30 vehicles, including a BMW, Porsche and Hummer.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Napoles, who is charged with illegally detaining Benhur Luy. The latter is believed to have exposed Napoles’ involvement in the PDAF scam.
Authorities have not been able to locate Napoles or her brother Reynald Lim at any of their known addresses in Metro Manila.
Several state agencies are involved in the hunt for the duo.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has orders to stop Napoles and Lim from leaving the country. “We have standing order to turn over Napoles to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police if ever she attempts to leave the country using airports,” the bureau’s airport operations division chief, Marie Vitan, said.
Vitan said more photographs of Napoles would be posted at immigration counters at airports and seaports.
An immigration official who refused to be named said Lim had tried to leave the country twice this month.
On Friday, a lawyer for Napoles asked the Court of Appeals to stop the serving of the arrest warrant on the businesswoman and her brother.
Lorna Kapunan wants the Appeals court to stop the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) from issuing the warrant, accusing the Makati court of abusing its discretion.
Kapunan claimed the Makati judge Elmo Alameda had issued the arrest order despite pending motions from Napoles for judicial determination of probable cause.
Kapunan said the department of justice (DOJ) had erred when it reversed a resolution clearing Napoles in the case despite weak evidence presented by the NBI.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is ready assist the NBI in the hunting Napoles, PNP spokesman senior superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac said. – Manila Times