Napoles kids ask for bail discount

MANILA — The children of businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the multibillion-peso pork barrel fund scam, want a hefty discount on their bail bond for their 194 criminal cases in connection with the P900 million Malampaya fund scam.

In their eight-page urgent motion dated December 12, Napoles' children Jo Christine and James Christopher, as well as her brother Ronald Francisco Lim, have asked Sandiganbayan Third Division to reduce by more than 3,000 percent the amount of bail bond earlier recommended by the Office of the Ombudsman in exchange for their provisional liberty.

Napoles, Jo Christine, James Christopher and Ronald Francisco are each facing 97 counts of graft and 97 counts of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents in connection with the alleged misuse of P900-million worth of government income from the Malampaya natural gas project intended for farmers affected by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng which hit the country late 2009.

The ombudsman said they conspired with former budget secretary and incumbent Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., former agrarian reform secretary and incumbent Masiu, Lanao del Sur Mayor Nasser Pangandaman Jr. and five other former government officials in allegedly funneling the P900-million fund to bogus non-goverment organizations.

The ombudsman had earlier recommended to the Sandiganbayan to set the bail at P30,000 for each count of graft and P200,000 for each count of malversation through falsification or a total of P22.31 million for each of the accused.

Citing a provision from