Napoles moved to mothers’ ward in women’s correctional

MANILA, Philippines – Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles has been moved to the ward for mothers at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, reports said.

Quoting CIW officer-in-charge Edelinda Patac, radio station dzMM reported that Napoles was moved out of the general ward on Wednesday night, June 24, because it has become “congested.”

Patac said Napoles shares a cell with another inmate and her child, and that no one was displaced because of her transfer.

Napoles was brought to the CIW on April 16, two days after she was found guilty of serious illegal detention.

Napoles and her brother Reynald Lim are accused of detaining star whistleblower Benhur Luy from December 2012 to March 2013 after the two discovered Luy was dabbling into the same business of Napoles – tapping into lawmakers’ pork barrel funds through fake non-governmental organizations. (READ: Napoles to Benhur: You stole my PDAF)

Luy, a cousin of Napoles, was her longtime assistant before he eventually became the principal witness in the plunder complaint filed against her.

Napoles was initially detained at Fort Sto Domingo in Laguna, before being moved to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City in July 2014. – Rappler.com