MANILA – Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda confirmed Thursday that he was the first to learn about the possible surrender of businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles as early as Wednesday afternoon.
In a press conference, Lacierda said he received news that Lorna Kapunan, Napoles’ lawyer, had mentioned on TV that her client was willing to surrender. This was after President Aquino had offered a P10 million reward for Napoles’ arrest.
Below is the timeline of events leading to Napoles’ surrender on Wednesday.
10:48 am: President Aquino announces P10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Janet Napoles
12:37 pm: Lacierda calls Napoles’ lawyer Attorney Lorna Kapunan after seeing a crawler on the ABS-CBN News Channel quoting Kapunan that her client is willing to surrender.
Lacierda tells Kapunan: “So what do you want? So you want to surrender? And she said at that point: 'We would like to surrender. If at all, let me confirm with my client that we would like to surrender to the President.' Why the President? 'Because [he’s] the person that we trust.'"
Around 2 pm: After the Gawad Apolinario Mabini awarding rite at the Palace, Lacierda sees President Aquino to inform him of the development. Aquino tells Lacierda, “Ang dami nating leads. there were leads of this and that. So this is just another lead. ‘Pag bumalik na siya, let me know.”
4:06 pm: Kapunan calls back and said her client was willing to surrender and that her only request was that her safety be secured. By that time, President Aquino had already talked to Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas about Napoles’ possible surrender.
Lacierda says Aquino instructed Roxas to turn over Napoles to the Philippine National Police after her surrender.
Lacierda and Kapunan exchange calls where they would be meeting.
“In my sense, she was not in direct contact with Ms. Napoles, so she was talking through a conduit. So we were going back and forth on where to meet, where to meet,” Lacierda narrated.
Roxas makes security preparations for Napoles in coordination with Chief PNP Alan Purisima.
Kapunan tells Lacierda to meet her in the vicinity of Pasong Tamo.
6:50 pm: Lacierda leaves the Palace to have dinner together with Usec. Abigail Valte and Usec. Manolo Quezon. Kapunan calls Lacierda and tells him to meet her at White Space, an events venue in Pasong Tamo, Makati.
Kapunan arrives in a vehicle with Jimmy Napoles, husband of Janet. The two board Lacierda’s vehicle.
“When they boarded, I asked them: ‘Where are we going?” And sinabi ni Mr. Jimmy Napoles… was: “Let’s go to Heritage Park.” Lacierda informs the President of the developments.
8:06 pm: The three arrive at Heritage Park where they stay until 9:08 p.m. During that time, Mr. Napoles keeps calling and texting someone on the phone.
9:08 pm: Two women arrive – one of whom is Mrs. Napoles. Lacierda says the second woman was an assistant who was carrying Mrs. Napoles’ things.
The group then go back to Malacañang.
9:37 pm: The group arrives in Malacañang where they undergo security checks. Mrs. Napoles also undergoes a medical checkup.
Mrs. Napoles talks to President Aquino, Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima, Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa, Secretary Rene Almendras, Secretary Mar Roxas, Secretary Ramon Carandang, Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte and Undersecretary Manolo Quezon for about 10 minutes. Kapunan thanks President Aquino for receiving Napoles.
Aquino says he already gave instructions to Roxas and Purisima to assure Napoles’ safety.
Napoles is then brought to Camp Crame. Accompanying her were Lacierda, Roxas, Almendras, Mr. Napoles, Napoles’ assistant and Kapunan.
Lacierda says the President went ahead of their group to Camp Crame “to make sure the premises were secure.” He leaves shortly after.
