The controversial businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles could post a bail right now after the fourth division of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has allowed her to post bail for their plunder case in connection with her alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam. Aside from Janet Lim-Napoles, Masbate Gov. Rizalina Seachon-Lanet could post a bail also according to Sandiganbayan.
According to Sandiganbayan, the court set the bail for each accused at P500,000, the full copy of the ruling promulgated by the Fourth Division on April 12, has yet to be released to the media as of posting time.
Masbate Gov. Lanete and Janet Lim-Napoles are facing plunder and graft cases cases before the Fourth Division for the alleged misuse of the former’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel during her term as a Masbate representative.
According to the Office of the Ombudsman, in February last year, Lanete received a total of P108.4-million worth of kickbacks by allocating her PDAF from 2004 to 2010 to fake foundations allegedly owned by Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the pork scam.
The Fourth Division of the Sandiganbayan has been hearing Lanete and Napoles’ bail petition for the plunder case since May 2015. Lanete is currently detained at the BJMP Female Dormitory at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig and may soon be released from detention but Napoles would have to remain in jail as she has already been sentenced to a reclusion perpetua by the Makati RTC for an illegal detention.
Based upon the court’s records, the Fourth Division’s ruling in connection with Napoles and Lanete’s case is the first instance that an accused of a pork-barrel scam related case has been granted bail.