TIMELINE: Janet Napoles from scandal to testimony

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The two-week-long manhunt for fugitive and pork barrel queen Janet Lim Napoles came to a close when she surrendered to President Benigno Aquino III Wednesday night, August 28.

The surrender came shortly after President Aquino announced a P10-million bounty for her arrest.

Napoles was brought to Camp Crame, headquarters of the Philippine National Police. Her brother, Reynald “Jojo” Lim remains at large.

She was transferred to the Makati City jail a day after she surrendered and is now being detained at Fort Sto Domingo in Laguna.

On November 7, Janet Lim Napoles is set to deliver her testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee after she was issued a subpoena to appear before the committee.  

The timeline below traces the series of events of the of the going Napoles saga from the revelation of the multi-billion pork barrel scam, her surrender, and to her much awaited testimony.

July 12, Friday – The alleged multi-billion pork barrel scam is exposed by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Whistleblower Benhur Luy identifies relative and previous employer Janet Lim Napoles as the mastermind behind the scam involving at least 5 senators and 23 congressmen and the siphoning of millions of pesos for ghost projects through their PDAF.

July 15, Monday – Justice Secretary Leila de Lima issues an Immigration Lookout Bulletin on the Napoles siblings to monitor their international travels. 

July 16, Tuesday – Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales creates a 6-person team of investigators to conduct parallel investigations with the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the ghost projects funded through the misuse of pork barrel funds. 

July 17, Wednesday – Through a statement read by her lawyer at a press conference, Napoles denies her involvement in the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund, or pork barrel.

July 18, Thursday – Benhur Luy is placed under the Witness Protection Program. 

July 25, Thursday – Photos obtained by Rappler show Janet Lim Napoles partying with Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla and their families.

 

July 26, Friday – The blog of Jean Napoles, daughter of Janet Lim Napoles, exposing the family’s lavish lifestyle goes viral including a video of her extravagant 21st birthday party in Berverly Hills, CA.

July 31, Wednesday – A Rappler investigation reveals that Jean Napoles is the listed owner of an P80-million luxury apartment in Los Angeles, CA. 

August 1, Thursday – The Napoles camp sends Rappler a letter threatening to sue the company for the “inaccurate, reckless and unfair articles” on the Jean Napoles’ lavish lifestyle.

August 5, Monday – In a unanimous decision, the Senate says they will not conduct a probe into the multi-billion pork barrel scam for now. 

August 5, Monday – The minority bloc of the House of Representatives, led by Minority Leader and San Juan City Rep, Ronaldo Zamora files a resolution to probe into the alleged misuses of pork barrel funds. 

August 7, Wednesday – A Rappler investigative report shows that Janet Napoles learned the tricks of the trade in the military where she cut a P3.8- million deal on Kevlar helmets which was later declared anomalous by the Sandiganbayan.

August 8, Thursday – The eldest daughter of Janet Lim Napoles, Jo-Christine, abandons her hopes of joining Congress as she withdraws her nomination as the second representative for the OFW Family party list. 

August 8, Thursday – A Rappler exclusive reveals that the Napoleses own 3 other properties in California with a total networth of P415.1 million or US$9.5 million. 

August 13, Friday – Former Marine Col Ariel Querubin comes forward and reveals to Rappler a tragic past involving a pyramid scam by Napoles that caused his wife’s depression.

August 14, Wednesday – Makati Regional Trial Court branch 150 orders the arrest of Janet Lim Napoles and her brother Reynald “Jojo” Lim for the illegal detention of whistleblower Benhur Luy. 

August 14, Wednesday – Another Rappler investigative report reveals that the sons of Napoles and Senator Revilla are business partners, based on Securities and Exchange Commission records. 

August 15, Thursday – The NBI urges the Napoles siblings to surrender. More than 12 hours since the issuance of the arrest warrants the siblings are nowhere to be found and the manhunt continues. 

August 15, Thursday – A Rappler investigation reveals that the 2012 net profit of Napoles’ officially registered businesses in the Securities and Exchange Commision totaled less than P1 million. 

August 16, Friday – Napoles’ lawyers asks the Court of Appeals to stop the implementation of the arrest warrant against her clients by filing an application for temporary restraining order.

August 16, Friday – The Court of Appeals orders the freezing of the accounts of Napoles, her family, relatives, and staff. The freeze order is effective for 6 months and covers a total of 415 accounts linked to Napoles. 

August 16, Friday – The Commission on Audit special report on how the PDAF was used from 2007-2009 reveals that P6.156 billion went to 82 NGOs, 10 of which were linked to Napoles and received P2.1 billion in pork.

August 17, Saturday – The Department of Foreign Affairs cancels the passports of the Janet Lim Napoles and brother Reynald. 

August 17, Saturday – The COA report reveals that senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Bong Revilla are patrons to the many dubious NGOs controlled by Napoles. 

August 20, Tuesday – The Senate backtracks on its earlier statement on the pork probe. Sen TG Guingona, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, announces that they will launch a formal probe into the multi-billion pork barrel scam. 

August 20, Tuesday – President Aquino says he has ordered the Inter-Agency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council to probe the PDAF scam. The investigating council consists of the Ombudsman, the Department of Justice, and the Commission on Audit. 

August 21, Wednesday – Rappler reveals that Monsignor Josefino Ramirez, a retired priest from the Archdiocese of Manila, is the listed tenant of Janet Lim Napoles’ home in the exclusive Forbes Park Village in Makati. 

August 26, Monday – At least 80,000 to 100,000 angry netizens and citizens join the #millionpeoplemarch at Luneta Park in the country’s first-ever social media-organized protest against the pork barrel. 

August 27, Tuesday – Napoles sues Rappler reporter Natashya Gutierrez along with 6 others from other publications. Napoles is asking Gutierrez for P10 million in damages and attorney’s fees. 

August 28, Wednesday – President Aquino announces a P10-million reward for anyone who has information that could lead authorities to Napoles and her brother Reynald “Jojo” Lim.

August 28, Wednesday – The Court of Appeals does not issue a TRO for the arrest warrant against the Napoles siblings. Instead, the court asks all parties in the case to comment on a petition by the Napoleses to stop their arrest

August 28, Wednesday – At 9:37 Napoles surrenders to President Aquino in Malacañang. Aquino turns her over to the custody of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and Philippine National Police Director Alan Purisima. Napoles spends the night in Camp Crame. headquarters of the Philippine National Police. 

August 29, Thursday morning – Netizens react to the surrender of Napoles. Many wonder who will receive the P10 million reward. 

August 29, Thursday afternoon – The Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 issues a commitment order to Napoles, paving the way for her impending transfer to the Makati City jail. 

August 29, late Thursday afternoon – The Napoles camp asks the Makati court to stop the transfer of Napoles to the Makati jail.

August 29, Thursday evening – Napoles is transferred to the Makati City jail. She is brought to an air-conditioned office outside the cells of other jail inmates for security reasons.

August 30, Friday – Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago scoffs at the possibility of Napoles turning into a state witness. She says that she does not fulfill the necessary criteria. 

August 30, Friday – PNP Chief Alan Purisima confirms that Napoles is being confined in an air-conditioned office due to her diabetes.

August 31, Saturday – Janet Lim Napoles remains at Makati City Jail as preparations to beef up security and and prepare facilities at Fort Sto. Domingo, Laguna are underway.

September 1, Sunday – Napoles is transferred to her new detention facility in Fort Sto Domingo, Laguna early Sunday morning.  

September 4, Wednesday – A Rappler investigative report delves into the past of Janet Lim Napoles from her humble beginnings growing up in Basilan to being the alleged mastermind behind the multi-billion pork barrel scam.

September 6, Friday – Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 postpones the arraignment of Janet Lim Napoles from September 9 to September 23 due to time constraints. 

September 7, Saturday – Cries that Napoles is receiving VIP treatment in jail arise as Napoles eats meals in jail that are clearly worth more than the allotted P50 per inmate a day budgeted by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. 

September 10, Tuesday – Senate president Drillion admits to meeting the Napoles less than 10 times as pictures surface showing the couple with Drillion in various social gatherings. 

 

September 12, Thursday – Infographic follows the trail of PDAF funds and details how a politician’s pork ends up in one of the bogus Napoles NGOs. 

September 15, Sunday – Rappler’s investigation reveals that many of Napoles’ properties tagged by whistleblowers are not under her name. Much like the set up of her bogus NGOs Napoles attempts to hide her properties under false corporations and dummies

September 16, Monday – Janet Lim Napoles along with 38 others, including Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Bong Revilla are charged on varying degrees of corruption before the Ombudsman. 

September 20, Friday– Marathon hearings at Makati RTC Branch 150 are scheduled for next week in relation to a motion for bail filed by Napoles.

September 21, Saturday – A Rappler investigative report reveals that 2 napoles NGOs received 95 million in one day from the Malampaya Fund.

September 23, Monday – Napoles files an urgent motion before Makati RTC Branch 150 to have her arraignment moved to Fort Sto Domingo, Laguna due to security and logistical concerns.

September 24, Tuesday – Senators clash on the decision to summon Janet Lim Napoles to testify before the blue ribbon committee. Senate President Franklin Drilon defers the decision instead to the Ombudsman. 

September 26, Thursday – Janet and husband Jimmy Napoles are charged by the Bureau of Internal Revenue for tax evasion with a total liability of P44.68 million and P16.43 million respectively. 

September 26, Thursday – Whistleblowers, including principal whistleblower Benhur Luy, reveal details on Napoles operations and properties in front of the Senate hearing. 

September 29, Friday – Several real estate websites reveal that the luxury LA apartment owned by Napoles is on the market for $1,475,000. 

September 30, Saturday – Ombudsman Conchita Morales stands by her decision against summoning Janet Lim Napoles before the Senate blue ribbon committee. 

October 3, Thursday – Former DAR Finance management director, Teresita Panililio – who allegedly aquired 14 million from the Malampaya scam –  says she does not regret knowing Janet Lim Napoles because knowing her brought her closer to priests and God. 

October 10, Thursday – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) files tax evasion charges against Jean Napoles, daughter of Janet Lim Napoles, for her failure to pay taxes amounting to P32 million. 

October 21, Monday – The senate issues a subpoena for Napoles to testify before the Senate blue ribbon committee on November 7. 

October 24, Thursday – Napoles is brought to Southern Luzon Hospital in Sta Rosa due to pain, nausea, and continuous vomiting.  

October 25, Friday – A day after Napoles was rushed to the hospital concerns over her mental health arise as her lawyer says solitary confinement has driven her client to talk to her self at night. 

October 25, Friday – A ledger handed over to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee by whistleblower Benhur Luy reveals that Janet Lim Napoles played favorites when dealing with PDAF kickbacks.

October 30, Wednesday – Lorna Kapunan resigns as the lawyer of Janet Lim Napoles. 

November 1, Friday – For the first time in years, Napoles is not able to visit her mother’s grave in their family mausoleum where she used to host halloween parties and death anniversary celebrations for her mother. This is also where Napoles met with Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda to negotiate the terms of her surrender to the President.

November 5, Tuesday – 2 days before her scheduled testimony Napoles sends a letter to Senate President Drillion and Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Teofisto “TG” Guingona to postpone the hearing as she has no lawyer to “guard her rights.” 

November 7, Thursday – Janet Lim Napoles will finally face the Senate to deliver her long overdue testimony.