(Eagle News) — Four of the five members of the family of Janet Lim Napoles who were indicted by a United States federal jury for money laundering are still in the Philippines, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Friday, Aug. 3, said.
According to Guevarra, Napoles’ children Jo Christine and James Christopher, her brother Reynald Lim and his wife Ana Marie are still in the Philippines, based on Bureau of Immigration records.
Napoles’ other daughter Jeane Catherine, he said, left the country on July 27, five days after the US justice department announced her indictment for allegedly funneling around $20 million in Philippine public funds, including Filipino lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance funds, in and out of the US.
Her destination, however, is not known.
“Considering that an indictment has already been made in US courts, the US government has ways of tracking down the defendants anywhere, including tapping the assistance of the Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization),” Guevarra said, noting that Jeane could not be stopped from leaving the country at that time as there was no hold departure order against her.
He added the Supreme Court ruled the Justice Secretary has no authority to issue a travel ban.
As for Napoles herself, who was also indicted, she is detained in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig over the plunder cases filed against her in connection with the PDAF scam.
According to Guevarra, she could be temporarily sent to the US so she could face the charges against her there, or face the cases here in the Philippines first.
“We shall evaluate these options once an actual request for extradition is made by the US government,” he said. Moira Encina