Guevarra removes Napoles from WPP

Janet Lim Napoles, alleged “pork barrel scam” brains, is no longer under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra

said he removed her yesterday (May 25) from the WPP where she had been provisionally placed since February 27 under then Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.

“Ms. Napoles had requested to be admitted into the Witness Protection Program of the Department of Justice (DOJ) due to alleged threats to her personal security, and specifically requested protection by way of transfer from her place of detention at Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City to a secure housing facility with limited access to the public,” he cited in a statement.

“As there has been no further claim of threats to her personal security inside Camp Bagong Diwa, the Secretary of Justice has found no reason to extend further Ms. Napoles’ provisional coverage under the Witness Protection Program,” Guevarra explained.

Napoles is facing before the Sandiganbayan multiple charges including plunder over her alleged involvement in the multibillion peso Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

Guevarra said he already issued yesterday “a letter to Janet Lim Napoles, through her counsel, giving notice of the termination of her provisional coverage under the Witness Protection Security and Benefit Program (WPSBP), effective 25 May 2018.”

He noted that the Napoles was granted security protection for witness duty only since Feb. 27 for a period not exceeding 90 days.

Previously, Napoles sought before Sandiganbayan to be transferred under the custody of the WPP but got denied by the anti-graft court’s First, Third and Fifth Divisions.