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Gov’t asks US help to locate Napoles properties

Natashya Gutierrez

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Besides seeking help to locate the Napoles properties, the justice department is also formalizing requests for assistance in issuing a freeze order under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty

TRACKING PROPERTIES. The Philippine government has asked for help from the US government to locate Napoles' properties. Photo collage by Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government is trying to locate US-based properties allegedly owned by alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim Napoles — and it has sought the help of the US government.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Thursday, October 10, that even before the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed plunder cases against Napoles with the Ombudsman, there were already “initial steps undertaken” to locate Napoles’ properties in the US.

“Definitely they are helping out in that area,” she said of the US government.

De Lima said they are still verifying the number and value of the properties, and will consult with the US government on how to proceed against the properties depending on their legal mechanisms.

Rappler earlier reported Napoles owns 4 US properties.

Ritz still unsold

Meanwhile, the luxurious Ritz Carlton condominium whose ownership is under the name of Janet’s daughter Jeane is still pocket-listed. This means that the property — with address, 900 W. Olympic Blvd #37i, Los Angeles, CA 90015 — is still being sold to a limited number of prospective buyers.

A pocket listed property also means that the property has been pulled out from the multiple listing system or MLS, which can be viewed by anyone online. 

Rappler has learned that the unit is “still available” and is selling for a “negotiable” price of US$1.475 million. Earlier, a real estate agent said it could sell for a price $200,000-$300,000 less than the original price. Read: Napoles Ritz condo being sold cheap?

A real estate agent in Los Angeles said owners of the property are determined to unload it. “They are pretty motivated to sell the unit,” the real estate agent said.

Units at the Ritz are built differently and can thus be priced differently too. The Napoles unit is reportedly being repainted and its wallpapers are being replaced. But for sure, the owners of the property are determined to get rid of it, the agent said.

Freeze order

Aside from locating the properties, de Lima said the DOJ is also formalizing requests for assistance to issue a freeze order on them. A freeze order has been issued locally for Napoles’ bank accounts.

“We are working on it under the MLAT (Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty),” she said.

Because a freeze order on the properties has yet to be issued, however, de Lima said the government cannot stop Napoles from selling her properties. 

De Lima gave assurances, however, they could still recover the money in the event the property was sold because of the premise it was bought by Napoles from “proceeds of the crime… [of] this large scale corruption.”

“We can still go after it but we have to make sure what mode or mechanism we can use to track disposed properties… there are methods of asset recovery,” she said.

Napoles is accused of pocketing billions of pesos of government funds by conniving with lawmakers to channel their pork barrel funds to her dubious non-governmental organizations in exchange for hefty kickbacks.

She faces two charges of plunder with the Ombudsman, and is currently detained for separate charges of serious illegal detention. – with a report from Alfred Dicioco/ Rappler.com

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Natashya Gutierrez

Natashya is President of Rappler. Among the pioneers of Rappler, she is an award-winning multimedia journalist and was also former editor-in-chief of Vice News Asia-Pacific. Gutierrez was named one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders for 2023.