MANILA (8th UPDATE) - Fugitive businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles surrendered to President Aquino Wednesday night just hours after a P10 million bounty was put up for information leading to her arrest.
Napoles, who is wanted for serious illegal detention of pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy, gave herself up to President Benigno Aquino after which she was turned over to Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, in a statement, said Napoles surrendered to Aquino.
"At 9:37 p.m on August 28, Janet Napoles surrendered to President Aquino. Napoles is wanted on charges of serious illegal detention arising from the alleged kidnapping of Benhur Luy," Lacierda said.
"The President turned her over to the custody of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and Philippine National Police Director-General Alan Purisima for processing and booking," he added.
Napoles' lawyer Lorna Kapunan, in an interview with radio dzMM Wednesday night, said Napoles surrendered as she feared for her safety following the P10-million reward offered by the government for her arrest.
She has questioned the bounty, saying it would have gotten Napoles killed.
She said Napoles' brother Reynald Lim, who is also wanted for serious illegal detention in connection with the Luy case, will also surrender to authorities soon.
Kapunan: Trust Aquino
Kapunan said she advised the Napoles family to trust Aquino.
"(Napoles' family) asked me what was the best option, and I said, 'We have to trust in someone, and I think (that's) the President," she said.
She said she was with Napoles after she surrendered.
“We directly surrendered to the President and we were assured that she will be given due process of law,” she told dzMM.
Kapunan denied having been in constant communication with Napoles.
"The last time we talked to her was the day the warrant of arrest was issued," she said.
She declined to give details on Napoles' surrender. "Huwag na natin pag-usapan 'yung logistics, with due respect to the President."
Kapunan she doesn't know where Napoles stayed before she surrendered. "We don't know where she came from."
Napoles is temporarily detained at Camp Crame overnight before being possibly brought to the NBI Thursday.
Surrender feelers to Lacierda
Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, in press briefing after Napoles' surrender, said the businesswoman sent surrender feelers to Lacierda.
Roxas said the President called him up to work on Napoles's surrender. She was fetched from an undisclosed location and brought to Malacañang before Aquino accompanied her to Camp Crame to be detained.
"Ang punto 'di ba hinahanap siya ng buong sambayanan? Mahalaga na ma-secure siya para malaman natin ang katotohanan," he said.
Roxas said the reward on Napoles is now invalid because of her surrender but the bounty on her brother stays.
He said says Napoles underwent a health checkup and Aquino assured her of her safety.
"Si Napoles, bilang isang possible witness at ang laki ng anomalya, karapat-dapat na gawin ang lahat (to take her into custody)," he said.
Roxas said Napoles was served her arrest warrent, booked, and had her mugshots and fingerprints taken.
Napoles has been implicated in the P10-billion pork barrel scam and other alleged irregularities such as the fertilizer fund scam and the Malampaya fund mess.
A Makati Regional Trial Court issued a warrant for Napoles and her brother's arrest two weeks ago, August 14, but she opted to hide.
State witness?
On Wednesday morning, Aquino said Napoles should face the charges against her first before the government can consider turning her into a state witness against those involved in the pork barrel scam.
"Yung pagiging state witness pag-aaralan 'yan pero importante muna ay may warrant of arrest kailangan ma-serve ng executive itong warrant of arrest," Aquino said.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, meanwhile, said Napoles is not yet being considered to become a state witness.
She added that there are conditions to be one, including being the least guilty in a case.
"Sa ngayon hindi pa namin 'yan sineseryosong kino-consider but we cannot really rule out that possibility. There is always that possibility pero hindi pa ho namin talaga 'yan kino-consider. At alam n'yo naman po na mayroong mga elements or requirements or conditions bago ang isang akusado, or bago ang isang respondent na i-consider na isang state witness."
Investigators are targeting to file the first batch of cases in two weeks against Napoles, and possibly including lawmakers.
De Lima said the perpetrators of the pork barrel scam may face plunder charges but that it would still be subject to "further evaluation" by NBI's legal team review by the Office of the Ombudsman.
