PNP spends P150,000 a month on Napoles

by Aaron B. Recuenco

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is spending approximately P150,000 a month in securing embattled businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, the so-called pork barrel queen, in her detention cell in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Janet Lim Napoles, the alleged mastermind in the P10 billion pork barrel scam, is causing the Philippine National Police to spend P150,000 a month for her detention at a bungalow inside the Fort Sto Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. 

This makes Napoles a high-maintenance detainee of the cash-strapped police organization, enjoying privileges more than what’s allowed to a former PNP chief and other retired senior officials currently detained at the Custodial Center at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

“We are spending more or less P150,000 monthly, all in,” said Senior Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac, chief police information officer.

Sindac said the fund includes electricity bills, three times a day meal and other expenses that include operating expenses of doctors and policemen assigned to secure her.

The budget does not include the expenses when Napoles is transported to the court or any investigating body.

Aside from operational expenses, Sindac confirmed that a company of the elite Special Action Force (SAF) was tapped to secure Napoles 24/7 in a bungalow house at the Fort Sto. Domingo.

A company of SAF is made up of at least 100 members.

But despite the high cost of securing Napoles, Sindac said they are bound by a court order to keep her at Fort Sto. Domingo with cops on guard.

Napoles has been at the Fort Sto. Domingo for six months now, since she surrendered to President Aquino for a case of serious illegal detention filed by whistleblower Benhur Luy. She is also facing a case of plunder for some P10 billion pocketed pork barrel funds.

There have been calls to transfer Napoles to an ordinary detention facility like the Makati City Jail based on arguments that the so-called pork barrel queen is useless in the case build-up of the government against those who allegedly pocketed millions of pesos from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

But the PNP said they will not initiate their own action to have Napoles transferred to regular detention facility.

“The PNP will support and comply with the Order of the Court, said Sindac.

However, he added that there was already a decision to transfer the security of Napoles to the police force of the CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) regional police.


Full security was extended to Napoles when she appeared before the Senate hearing on the pork barrel scam, reportedly due to serious threats on her life. But during the hearing, Napoles denied her involvement in the scam.

http://www.mb.com.ph/pnp-spends-p150000-a-month-on-napoles/