Fugitive businesswoman and alleged pork barrel queen Janet Lim-Napoles surrendered to President Benigno Aquino III late Wednesday.
A couple of photos showed Napoles and her husband, Jimmy, going through the security check before being allowed to go up the President’s Hall at the second floor of Malacanang Palace.
There, Napoles was wearing a brown jacket with her hoodie covering her head.
Another photo showed Napoles at the receiving area with her husband and lawyer Lorna Kapunan. Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras and Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda were looking on.
Malacanang did not show the actual presentation of Napoles to President Benigno Aquino III. It was Aquino who secured Napoles’ transfer at Camp Crame for her booking.
In a press conference this morning, Lacierda said Aquino only wanted to secure Napoles, who allegedly has threats to her life.
Over at the Official Gazette, Malacanang defended Aquino’s actions in securing Napoles.
Several instances of wanted individuals personally meeting or surrendering to the Philippine President were listed there.
Malacanang said several high-profile individuals surrendered to President Manuel Quezon, Elpidio Quirino, Ramon Magsaysay and Fidel Ramos.
Below is the timeline of events leading to Napoles’ surrender on Wednesday.
10:48 am: President Aquino announces P10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Janet Napoles
12:37 pm: Lacierda calls Napoles’ lawyer Attorney Lorna Kapunan after seeing a crawler on the ABS-CBN News Channel quoting Kapunan that her client is willing to surrender.
Lacierda tells Kapunan: “So what do you want? So you want to surrender? And she said at that point: 'We would like to surrender. If at all, let me confirm with my client that we would like to surrender to the President.' Why the President? 'Because [he’s] the person that we trust.'"
Around 2 pm: After the Gawad Apolinario Mabini awarding rite at the Palace, Lacierda sees President Aquino to inform him of the development. Aquino tells Lacierda, “Ang dami nating leads. there were leads of this and that. So this is just another lead. ‘Pag bumalik na siya, let me know.”
4:06 pm: Kapunan calls back and said her client was willing to surrender and that her only request was that her safety be secured. By that time, President Aquino had already talked to Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas about Napoles’ possible surrender.
Lacierda says Aquino instructed Roxas to turn over Napoles to the Philippine National Police after her surrender.
Lacierda and Kapunan exchange calls where they would be meeting.
“In my sense, she was not in direct contact with Ms. Napoles, so she was talking through a conduit. So we were going back and forth on where to meet, where to meet,” Lacierda narrated.
Roxas makes security preparations for Napoles in coordination with Chief PNP Alan Purisima.
Kapunan tells Lacierda to meet her in the vicinity of Pasong Tamo.
6:50 pm: Lacierda leaves the Palace to have dinner together with Usec. Abigail Valte and Usec. Manolo Quezon. Kapunan calls Lacierda and tells him to meet her at White Space, an events venue in Pasong Tamo, Makati.
Kapunan arrives in a vehicle with Jimmy Napoles, husband of Janet. The two board Lacierda’s vehicle.
“When they boarded, I asked them: ‘Where are we going?” And sinabi ni Mr. Jimmy Napoles… was: “Let’s go to Heritage Park.”
Lacierda informs the President of the developments.
8:06 pm: The three arrive at Heritage Park where they stay until 9:08 p.m. During that time, Mr. Napoles keeps calling and texting someone on the phone.
9:08 pm: Two women arrive – one of whom is Mrs. Napoles. Lacierda says the second woman was an assistant who was carrying Mrs. Napoles’ things.
The group then went back to Malacañang.
9:37 pm: The group arrives in Malacañang where they undergo security checks. Mrs. Napoles also undergoes a medical checkup.
Mrs. Napoles talks to President Aquino, Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima, Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa, Secretary Rene Almendras, Secretary Mar Roxas, Secretary Ramon Carandang, Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte and Undersecretary Manolo Quezon for about 10 minutes. Kapunan thanks President Aquino for receiving Napoles.
Aquino says he already gave instructions to Roxas and Purisima to assure Napoles’ safety.
Napoles is then brought to Camp Crame. Accompanying her were Lacierda, Roxas, Almendras, Mr. Napoles, Napoles’ assistant and Kapunan.
Lacierda says the President went ahead of their group to Camp Crame “to make sure the premises were secure.” He leaves shortly after.--Source: ABS-CBN News
A couple of photos showed Napoles and her husband, Jimmy, going through the security check before being allowed to go up the President’s Hall at the second floor of Malacanang Palace.
There, Napoles was wearing a brown jacket with her hoodie covering her head.
Another photo showed Napoles at the receiving area with her husband and lawyer Lorna Kapunan. Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras and Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda were looking on.
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| Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda and Secretary to the Cabinet Jose Rene Almendras (l-r) talks to fugitive businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles (seated) while counsel Atty. Lorna Kapunan (right) at the President’s Hall Receiving Area of the Malacañan Palace to yield herself to President Aquino Wednesday night. Photo by Rodolfo Manabat, Malacañang Photo Bureau |
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| Photo by Rodolfo Manabat, Malacañang Photo Bureau |
Malacanang did not show the actual presentation of Napoles to President Benigno Aquino III. It was Aquino who secured Napoles’ transfer at Camp Crame for her booking.
In a press conference this morning, Lacierda said Aquino only wanted to secure Napoles, who allegedly has threats to her life.
Over at the Official Gazette, Malacanang defended Aquino’s actions in securing Napoles.
Several instances of wanted individuals personally meeting or surrendering to the Philippine President were listed there.
Malacanang said several high-profile individuals surrendered to President Manuel Quezon, Elpidio Quirino, Ramon Magsaysay and Fidel Ramos.
Below is the timeline of events leading to Napoles’ surrender on Wednesday.
10:48 am: President Aquino announces P10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Janet Napoles
12:37 pm: Lacierda calls Napoles’ lawyer Attorney Lorna Kapunan after seeing a crawler on the ABS-CBN News Channel quoting Kapunan that her client is willing to surrender.
Lacierda tells Kapunan: “So what do you want? So you want to surrender? And she said at that point: 'We would like to surrender. If at all, let me confirm with my client that we would like to surrender to the President.' Why the President? 'Because [he’s] the person that we trust.'"
Around 2 pm: After the Gawad Apolinario Mabini awarding rite at the Palace, Lacierda sees President Aquino to inform him of the development. Aquino tells Lacierda, “Ang dami nating leads. there were leads of this and that. So this is just another lead. ‘Pag bumalik na siya, let me know.”
4:06 pm: Kapunan calls back and said her client was willing to surrender and that her only request was that her safety be secured. By that time, President Aquino had already talked to Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas about Napoles’ possible surrender.
Lacierda says Aquino instructed Roxas to turn over Napoles to the Philippine National Police after her surrender.
Lacierda and Kapunan exchange calls where they would be meeting.
“In my sense, she was not in direct contact with Ms. Napoles, so she was talking through a conduit. So we were going back and forth on where to meet, where to meet,” Lacierda narrated.
Roxas makes security preparations for Napoles in coordination with Chief PNP Alan Purisima.
Kapunan tells Lacierda to meet her in the vicinity of Pasong Tamo.
6:50 pm: Lacierda leaves the Palace to have dinner together with Usec. Abigail Valte and Usec. Manolo Quezon. Kapunan calls Lacierda and tells him to meet her at White Space, an events venue in Pasong Tamo, Makati.
Kapunan arrives in a vehicle with Jimmy Napoles, husband of Janet. The two board Lacierda’s vehicle.
“When they boarded, I asked them: ‘Where are we going?” And sinabi ni Mr. Jimmy Napoles… was: “Let’s go to Heritage Park.”
Lacierda informs the President of the developments.
8:06 pm: The three arrive at Heritage Park where they stay until 9:08 p.m. During that time, Mr. Napoles keeps calling and texting someone on the phone.
9:08 pm: Two women arrive – one of whom is Mrs. Napoles. Lacierda says the second woman was an assistant who was carrying Mrs. Napoles’ things.
The group then went back to Malacañang.
9:37 pm: The group arrives in Malacañang where they undergo security checks. Mrs. Napoles also undergoes a medical checkup.
Mrs. Napoles talks to President Aquino, Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima, Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa, Secretary Rene Almendras, Secretary Mar Roxas, Secretary Ramon Carandang, Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte and Undersecretary Manolo Quezon for about 10 minutes. Kapunan thanks President Aquino for receiving Napoles.
Aquino says he already gave instructions to Roxas and Purisima to assure Napoles’ safety.
Napoles is then brought to Camp Crame. Accompanying her were Lacierda, Roxas, Almendras, Mr. Napoles, Napoles’ assistant and Kapunan.
Lacierda says the President went ahead of their group to Camp Crame “to make sure the premises were secure.” He leaves shortly after.--Source: ABS-CBN News