DEMAND AND SUPPLY…
https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/six-filipinos-indicted-domesticand-international-money-laundering-and-conspiracy-multi
“Even after Janet Napoles made a highly publicized statement admitting that she had bribed Philippine legislators in connection with these ‘ghost projects,’ the defendants attempted to convert the proceeds of this crime to their own use,” said US Attorney Nick Hanna.
“The efforts of the Philippine and American investigators demonstrate that there are consequences to abusing the public trust and we hope to deter such conduct in the future. To do this, we will work with our Philippine counterparts to secure the extradition of the defendants to the United States,” he added.
According to Secretary Guevarra, Mrs. Napoles cannot be extradited to the US until the case against her in the Philippines has been resolved and terminated. Currently detained at the Camp Bagong Diwa detention center in Taguig City, Mrs. Napoles is on trial for five counts of plunder, graft, and other cases before the Sandiganbayan.
Secretary Guevarra said only her co-accused who are not facing any case in the Philippines could be extradited to the US. It certainly looks like Mrs. Napoles won’t have to face American justice anytime soon. The slow moving Philippine justice system will see to that.
It will not be surprising if she will even be exonerated again, given her many friends in influential government positions. Many of those are probably beneficiaries of the PDAF scheme of Mrs. Napoles. No wonder she was even considered becoming a state witness.
For background, Philippine authorities arrested Napoles and froze her family’s local bank accounts in August 2013. She surrendered to former president Benigno Simeon Aquino III, who then escorted her to Camp Crame.
US court documents showed approximately $12.5 million in Southern California real estate assets were seized by the US Attorney’s Office that are now subject to a civil forfeiture case pending before US District Judge James Selna.
If the court orders the assets forfeited, the US will work with Philippine officials for the return of the stolen funds back to the Philippine government.
To the credit of our officials, US authorities said they received substantial assistance from the Philippines’ DOJ, Office of the Ombudsman, Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Commission on Audit. Assistant US Attorney Daniel O’Brien, deputy chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, is lead prosecutor of the case.
This development in the long running Napoles case is both good and horrible at the same time. Good that the Napoleses will be held to account before a US judge. There is also the possibility the much abused Filipino taxpayer will get some money back.
But it is horrible because an independent country like the Philippines shouldn’t have to depend on its former colonizer to deliver justice.
Our economy’s continued growth also depends on a reliably fair justice system. Investors want to assure there is rule of law before putting their resources at risk in a country like ours.
Hopefully President Duterte moves to clean up the sullied image of our judicial system with the help of everyone on the bench and at the bar.
Our national dignity is on the line. The quality of justice our institutions dispense defines the kind of people we are.
Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco.