MANILA, Philippines – The brother of Janet Lim-Napoles, Reynaldo Lim, has tried to leave the country at least twice in just one day.

Lim and his sister Janet Lim-Napoles are wanted by authorities after a branch of the Makati City Regional Trial Court on Wednesday, August 14, ordered their arrest for serious illegal detention. They are supposed to be behind a multibillion pork barrel scam.

According to Danilo Almeda, chief of the Bureau of Immigration Regulation Division, Lim attempted to leave the country twice on Aug 2, 2013 but was blocked by immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

At that time, a lookout bulletin had been issued by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima for Napoles and her brother, but there was no warrant of arrest yet so Lim was not held in custody.

“Now that he has a warrant of arrest, we will call the police if he is spotted in the airport,” Almeda told radio station dzIQ on Friday, August 17.

Lim reportedly tried to leave for Busan, South Korea on the morning of August 2 via Asiana Airlines. Immigration authorities stopped him from leaving. He tried again later that day to board a Malaysian Airlines flight for Kuala Lumpur but was again blocked.

Almeda said the passports of the siblings have already been downloaded. Once these are swiped in any Philippine airport, data will immediately show there are warrants of arrest against them.

De Lima has said the current warrant means the two are automatically covered by a hold departure order. On Thursday, August 15, she also said field offices, the Bureau of Immigration, highway officers, ports and the entire bureau are on alert for the Napoleses.

The Philippine National Police received copies of the warrant on Friday.

READ: Surrender, NBI tells Napoles siblings

Napoles camp

The camp of Napoles has asked the Court of Appeals to stop the arrest against the two, citing grave abuse of discretion on the part of government.

In a separate case also filed by the Napoleses, the Manila Prosecutor’s Office set a date for preliminary investigation on the perjury case filed by Napoles against whistleblowers who are linking them to the pork barrel scam.

The hearing dates are set for August 28 and September 4. – Rappler.com