THE Sandiganbayan on Thursday denied for lack of merit a motion of the alleged mastermind of the multi-billion pork barrel scam Janet Napoles who had sought permission to be excused from attending the numerous proceedings in connection with the cases she is facing.
In filing the motion, Napoles argued that the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology is spending nearly P44,000 every time she is brought to court, while also noting that she had already executed a waiver of appearance as she is “experiencing physical and mental fatigue…” every time she is transported to the Sandiganbayan complex in Quezon City from her Camp Bagong Diwa detention cell in Taguig City.
She also said that she had undergone a medical operation in April 2014.
But the Sandiganbayan ruled that the expenses incurred by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in bringing Napoles to court cannot justify her non-appearance in court.
“The claim that the BJMP is spending P43,350.00 every time it transports accused Napoles to Court to attend the bail hearings is not a justifiable ground to excuse accused Napoles from appearing during the bail hearings,” the anti-graft court’s 3rd Division said.
The court said that Napoles’ court attendance is the necessary consequence of being charged with a heinous crime.
“To be sure, Napoles’ once-a-week appearance in Court, and the attendant cost thereof, are unwelcome but inherent discomforts, and/or necessary consequences of her being a detention prisoner. What is of utmost importance is that the Court finds an imperative need for the presence of the said accused during bail hearings considering that it involves a plunder case—a heinous crime,” the court said.
“Wherefore, premises considered, accused Janet Lim Napoles’ Second Motion to be excused from attending that bail hearings and other proceedings of the Honorable Court is denied for lack of merit,” the court said.
Napoles is facing multiple counts of graft and plunder for allegedly conspiring with several lawmakers to divert millions in Priority Development Assistance Fund otherwise known as pork barrel funds to bogus NGOs she allegedly owned in exchange for kickbacks.