Sandiganbayan denies bail request of at-large Napoles kin, staff

Sandiganbayan Building along Commonwealth, Quezon City. Photo courtesy of DGR Law Offices.

MANILA — The motion to bail filed by the nephew and staff of Janet Lim Napoles who are both still at large before the Sandiganbayan through their lawyers were junked by the First Division.

Associate Justice Efren Dela Cruz, chairman of the division, on Thursday turned down the motion to bail of Ronald John Lim and Ronald de Asis saying that the respondents need first to submit themselves before the anti-graft court before acting on their petition.

“As the accused [Ronald John Lim and Raymund de Asis] are still at-large, this joint petition for bail is denied,” Dela Cruz declared during the hearing.

Both Lim and De Asis are facing plunder in connection with the Php 10 Billion pork barrel scam.

Meanwhile, the court has set the hearing for the petition for bail involving Napoles on July 10. Napoles is currently detained at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna who is facing serious illegal detention charges filed by her former employee and cousin Benhur Luy.

The court also ruled that the motion of the Ombudsman to suspend Senator Ramon Revilla Jr.

, and his senior staff, Richard Cambe, from government post is deemed submitted for resolution after both the defense and prosecution have filed their comment and reply on the motion.

The same court also declared submitted for resolution the request of Technology Resource Center Director General on-leave Dennis Cunanan for travel abroad.

Cunanan has pleaded not guilty to two of the seven counts of graft charges against him in connection with the pork barrel scam and requesting to travel to Japan July 7 to 15 as secretary general of the youth organization Junior Chamber International.