Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles was transferred to Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna early Sunday morning where she will be detained after her voluntary surrender to President Benigno Aquino III late August 28.
This transfer was ordered by Makati City Regional Trial Court (Branch 150) Judge Elmo Alameda on Friday afternoon — the same judge who issued a warrant for Napoles’ and her brother Reynald Lim’s arrest for the illegal detention of whistleblower Benhur Luy. Lim still remains at-large with a reward of PhP 5 million on top of his head for his arrest.
Through Napoles’ chief legal counsel Atty. Lorna Kapunan, Napoles appealed to be transferred to a different facility because she said she doesn’t feel safe at the Makati City Jail. This was seconded by MCJ acting warden Chief Inspector Fermin Enriquez, who said they could not guarantee her safety if she will be detained at MCJ for the duration of the exhaustive investigation of the pork barrel scam.
PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Ruben Theodore Sindac confirmed the successful transfer through his Twitter account.
Before the transfer was made, Philippine National Police Chief Alan Purisima and Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas checked the facilities to make sure that appropriate security measures were taken before Napoles’ arrival.
According to Sindac, Napoles was taken from MCJ at around 5AM and arrived at Fort Sto. Domingo about an hour later, where Enriquez turned her over to the PNP – Special Action Force (SAF) commandant Supt. Francis Allan Reglos.
Security in and around Fort Sto. Domingo was intensified upon Napoles’ arrival. SAF personnel were positioned around the camp’s perimeter and even right by Napoles’ detention room.
Napoles’ detention room is a bungalow with a floor area of 82.4 square meters. It has a receiving room 40-square-meter and a 3.25-square-meter rest room. Napoles’ bedroom is 19.2 square meters big.
Sindac said that tighter security is now being implemented around Fort Sto. Domingo. He said several SAF personnel have been deployed at the camp’s perimeter and near the detention room of Napoles.
All photos courtesy of PNP Public Information Office on Facebook.