Manila, Philippines - Janet Napoles is the 'least worthy' to be discharged as a state witness.
This is the statement of the prominent lawyer Raymond Fortun as posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday as he gave legal opinion on Janet Napoles, the alleged pork barrel scam brains who was reported now ready to 'tell all' everything she knows about the multi-billion-peso scam.
In a report of ABS-CBN News, Justice Sec. Leila De Lima disclosed that Napoles wants to be a state witness in exchange for all the information she will provide, in an effort to avoid criminal prosecution.
Napoles is among the accused of plundering congressional pork barrel along with Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Juan Ponce Enrile and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada by allocating senators’ PDAF to bogus non government organizations owned by her.
In addition, De Lima said that Napoles 'tell all' would be more valuable than the testimony of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile's former chief of staff Jessica "Gigi" Reyes.
However, the high profile lawyer from Fortun Law Office cites some reasons why Napoles cannot be a state witness. Here's the full statement of Atty. Raymond Fortun as he deeply tackled the issue:
Napoles cannot be a state witness on LEGAL grounds. She is the mastermind of the entire scam, having offered a 50% cut to senators and congressmen if their PDAF will be coursed through her bogus NGO's. She benefitted the most from the entire scheme. Being the "most guilty" in the eyes of the law, she is disqualified from applying to become state witness under Section 17, Rule 119 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure.
Napoles cannot be a state witness AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE. Sometime in the last quarter of 2013, she was brought before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to testify "in aid of legislation". She made a mockery of the entire proceedings by claiming ignorance of the allegations made by Ben Hur Luy et al and refused to help in the investigation. Her current epiphany is a desperate ploy to evade prosecution and conviction.
Napoles cannot be a state witness on MORAL grounds. The fruits of her illegal activities -- the numerous houses and condominiums in exclusive villages, the dozens of cars, the lavish parties -- require no further explanation. The sources of these funds have been revealed by Ben Hur Luy et al; they came from the hard-earned taxes that we Filipinos have been diligently paying in hopes of improving our country's social services and infrastructure but which, instead, had been diverted into the pockets of the few. To grant to her a status which would enable her to evade imprisonment simply because she will "tell all" sends the wrong message to our children. CRIME DOES NOT PAY.
Napoles cannot be a state witness on STRATEGIC grounds. The government's case has by and large been built on the testimonies of and documents presented by Ben Hur Luy et al. These people have been risking their lives AGAINST JANET NAPOLES and the legislators whose names they have implicated in the Pork Barrel scam since March 2013. Simply put, Ben Hur Luy, Merlina Suñas and company have courted danger in order to expose the illegal activities of their boss, Janet Napoles. Janet Napoles is their enemy. For the government to now align Napoles with the very people who have risked so much to reveal the truth will foment demoralization and may affect the overall effectiveness of the entire prosecution.
Napoles cannot be a state witness on ETHICAL grounds. Lest people forget, one of the first people who visited Napoles when she surrendered at Camp Crame (aside from Boy Pick-Up, that is) was President Noynoy Aquino. What they talked about during that visit has been the subject of a lot of speculation. PNoy should shie away from any implication that Napoles is being coddled and granted special treatment in exchange for persecuting the political opposition."
This is the statement of the prominent lawyer Raymond Fortun as posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday as he gave legal opinion on Janet Napoles, the alleged pork barrel scam brains who was reported now ready to 'tell all' everything she knows about the multi-billion-peso scam.
In a report of ABS-CBN News, Justice Sec. Leila De Lima disclosed that Napoles wants to be a state witness in exchange for all the information she will provide, in an effort to avoid criminal prosecution.
Napoles is among the accused of plundering congressional pork barrel along with Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Juan Ponce Enrile and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada by allocating senators’ PDAF to bogus non government organizations owned by her.
In addition, De Lima said that Napoles 'tell all' would be more valuable than the testimony of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile's former chief of staff Jessica "Gigi" Reyes.
However, the high profile lawyer from Fortun Law Office cites some reasons why Napoles cannot be a state witness. Here's the full statement of Atty. Raymond Fortun as he deeply tackled the issue:
"Let's cut the crap; among all the accused in the Pork Barrel scam, Janet Napoles is the least worthy to be discharged as a state witness.
Napoles cannot be a state witness on LEGAL grounds. She is the mastermind of the entire scam, having offered a 50% cut to senators and congressmen if their PDAF will be coursed through her bogus NGO's. She benefitted the most from the entire scheme. Being the "most guilty" in the eyes of the law, she is disqualified from applying to become state witness under Section 17, Rule 119 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure.
Napoles cannot be a state witness AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE. Sometime in the last quarter of 2013, she was brought before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to testify "in aid of legislation". She made a mockery of the entire proceedings by claiming ignorance of the allegations made by Ben Hur Luy et al and refused to help in the investigation. Her current epiphany is a desperate ploy to evade prosecution and conviction.
Napoles cannot be a state witness on MORAL grounds. The fruits of her illegal activities -- the numerous houses and condominiums in exclusive villages, the dozens of cars, the lavish parties -- require no further explanation. The sources of these funds have been revealed by Ben Hur Luy et al; they came from the hard-earned taxes that we Filipinos have been diligently paying in hopes of improving our country's social services and infrastructure but which, instead, had been diverted into the pockets of the few. To grant to her a status which would enable her to evade imprisonment simply because she will "tell all" sends the wrong message to our children. CRIME DOES NOT PAY.
Napoles cannot be a state witness on STRATEGIC grounds. The government's case has by and large been built on the testimonies of and documents presented by Ben Hur Luy et al. These people have been risking their lives AGAINST JANET NAPOLES and the legislators whose names they have implicated in the Pork Barrel scam since March 2013. Simply put, Ben Hur Luy, Merlina Suñas and company have courted danger in order to expose the illegal activities of their boss, Janet Napoles. Janet Napoles is their enemy. For the government to now align Napoles with the very people who have risked so much to reveal the truth will foment demoralization and may affect the overall effectiveness of the entire prosecution.
Napoles cannot be a state witness on ETHICAL grounds. Lest people forget, one of the first people who visited Napoles when she surrendered at Camp Crame (aside from Boy Pick-Up, that is) was President Noynoy Aquino. What they talked about during that visit has been the subject of a lot of speculation. PNoy should shie away from any implication that Napoles is being coddled and granted special treatment in exchange for persecuting the political opposition."
Fortun added that if the Queen of Plunder gets away from her crimes, then the saying "only in the Philippines" acquires an all-time low meaning. - TheSummitExpress.com
