MALACAÑANG expressed support Friday, May 25, for the decision of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to remove alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles from the government's witness protection program (WPP).
The DOJ terminated Napoles's provisional coverage under the WPP effective May 25 since there had been "no further claim of threat to her personal security."
Napoles was granted partial protection by resigned Secretary Justice Vitaliano Aguirre II on February 27, in exchange for her testimonies on the misuse of the P10-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (Pdaf).
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said he believed that Napoles is "not the least guilty" to testify with regard to the controversial Pdaf scheme.
"We support DOJ Secretary's decision and agreee that (Napoles) is not the least guilty whose testimony is not indispensable and can be testified upon by other witnesses," the Palace official said in a statement.
In a press statement released earlier Friday, the DOJ announced that Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra sees no reason to extend Napoles' partial protection, citing the decision of the three divisions of the Sandiganbayan to reject her motion to be transferred from Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City to a DOJ's safehouse.
It also noted that Napoles' request for full admission to the WPP was rendered "moot and academic," following tbe move of the anti-graft court's divisions.
"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 (WPP)," it said.
Napoles is facing plunder charges for her alleged involvement in the misuse of funds from the Pdaf allocation of former senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jingggoy Estrada, and Ramon Revilla Jr.
Napoles, the alleged brains behind the pork barrel scam, purportedly funneled billions of pork barrel funds into her bogus non-governmental organizations. (SunStar Philippines)