Napoles refuses to enter a plea

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Alleged pork barrel scam queen Janet Napoles faces a Makati court but refuses to enter a plea

LIGHTNING FAST. CIDG and police quickly whisk Janet Lim Napoles back to Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna. Photo by Rappler/Bea Cupin

MANILA, Philippines – Alleged pork barrel scam queen Janet Napoles faces a Makati court Monday for arraignment in her serious illegal detention case. 
But as Bea Cupin tells us, she refuses to enter a plea.

Under the protection of over a hundred government security men, Janet Lim Napoles steps out into the public eye for the first time after surrendering. 
The alleged brains behind the pork barrel scam, Napoles left her detention facility in Laguna to attend her arraignment before a Makati court.
Napoles faces serious illegal detention charges, along with her brother Reynald Lim. 
Handcuffed, wearing a bulletproof vest and a helmet, Napoles arrives at at the sala of Judge Elmo Alameda. 
Napoles is silent during her arraignment. She does not enter a plea.

LORNA KAPUNAN, NAPOLES’ LAWYER: Ang nakalagay sa batas natin, sa Rule 116 ng Rules of Court, kung ang akusado ay ayaw mag-enter ng plea, ang korte mismo ang magsasabi ng not guilty plea. So sa arraignment ngayon, ang inenter na plea ni Judge natin ay not guilty si Mrs. Napoles sa charge ng serious illegal detention. (Under Rule 116 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure, if the accused refuses to enter a plea, the court itself will enter a “not guilty” plea. Judge Alameda entered a “not guilty” plea for Mrs. Napoles in the charge of serious illegal detention.)

After a series of motions from her camp, Napoles is finally arraigned. 
Thirty minutes after entering the judge’s sala, she is whisked back to Laguna. 
Her lawyers say they want future hearings to be conducted in Laguna.
They claim the route to Makati is too dangerous.
The case involves very powerful people whom her lawyers say would become “better off if Janet is silenced” with the filing of plunder charges before the Ombudsman.

LORNA KAPUNAN, NAPOLES’ LAWYER: Versus one judge going to the fort and a whole convoy of security, CIDG… naintindihan naman ni Judge at sabi niya sa susunod na hearing ay mag-file ng motion na i-address sa Supreme Court ang Mrs. Napoles para palitan yung venue. (Versus one judge going to Fort Sto Domingo and a whole convoy of security… Judge Alameda understands [the logistical concerns] and he told us that in the next hearing, we should file a motion asking the Supreme Court to change the venue of the hearing.)

On Friday, September 27, Judge Alameda will hear Napoles’ motion for bail.

LORNA KAPUNAN, NAPOLES’ LAWYER: Sinabi ng judge kung totoo nga na ready ang prosecution, dapat ibigay na nila yung listahan ng kanilang mga witnesses. Eight daw yung witnesses nila versus yung 17 namin… (Judge Alameda said that if the prosecution is really ready, they should submit names of their witnesses. They have 8 witnesses, while we have 17.)

Convoys, bullet proof vests, and media frenzies. 
All eyes are still on the pork barrel queen — the woman who triggered the nation’s collective anger.
Watchdogs say they’re ready for the long haul.
Bea Cupin, Rappler, Manila.

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