But warrants of arrest issued vs Jo Christine, James Christopher Napoles; and Ronald Francisco Lim still stand
(Eagle News) — The Sandiganbayan has granted the motion of the kin of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles to have their P22-million bail in connection with the Malampaya fund scam reduced, but denied their plea for the warrants of arrest issued against them to be suspended.
In a resolution promulgated on December 15, the Third Division reduced the total recommended bail for the temporary liberty of Jo Christine and James Christopher, Napoles’ children; and of their uncle Ronald Francisco Lim to P16.83 million.
Recommended bail for all three was originally pegged at P66.9 million.
The anti-graft court arrived at the amount after it reduced the P30,000 bail bond it originally set for each count of graft to P7,500.
The Sandiganbayan also reduced the original bail bond for each count of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents–from P200,000 to P50,000.
The three face 97 counts of graft and malversation charges each over the P900-million Malampaya fund scam.
In reducing their bail, the Sandiganbayan noted that it “may exercise its discretion to fix or reduce the amount of bail based on the nature and the circumstances of the crimes charged to give substance and meaning to the constitutional right of the accused to bail.”
This was even as it rejected the argument of the three that Article 70 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, which pertains to the “three-fold rule,” was applicable to a petition for bail.
The younger Napoleses and Lim had said that based on Article 70 of the Revised Penal Code, they should be allowed to pay a fixed bail of three times the amount of the recommended bail of the most severe charge.
In rejecting their plea for the warrants of arrest issued against them to be suspended, the Sandiganbayan said that probable cause had already been found against them.
Their co-accused are former Agrarian Reform secretary Nasser Pangandaman and former Budget chief Rolando Andaya Jr.
