Cedric Lee has links to NBI?

MANILA - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will be impartial in its probe into the mauling of ABS-CBN talent Vhong Navarro, assured Justice Secretary Leila De Lima in the wake of reports Cedric Lee, the leader of the group that beat up Navarro, is well-connected, even with the NBI.

In a text message to ABS-CBN News, De Lima said she will look into Lee's reported links to "past and present" NBI officials.

"As in any probe that we undertake, I will make sure that the NBI's probe will be impartial and credible. I will also look into Cedric Lee's alleged connections to certain NBI officials, past or present," De Lima said.

The NBI has initiated an investigation into the incident and has subpoenaed Lee and Deniece Cornejo at 2pm, today, Monday, to its main office in Taft Ave., Manila.

Cornejo is the friend who Navarro visited in her condominium unit on Wednesday night, where the incident took place.

Cornejo and Lee's camp claims Navarro attempted to rape her, which led to the mauling incident.

Navarro, however, denies this, and claims Lee and company merely wanted to extort P1 million from him.

Another mauling incident allegedly involving Lee was reported in 2007, with athlete and TV personality David Bunevacz as the alleged victim.

Lee denied Bunevacz's allegations against him in a sworn statement executed with the NBI, reported entertainment website PEP.PH.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Why some lawmakers may want Napoles killed

MANILA - Some lawmakers involved in the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam may want fugitive businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles killed to silence her, a lawyer said Monday.

Levito Baligod, lawyer of scam whistleblower Benhur Luy, told dzMM that Napoles has documents showing her cash transactions with lawmakers involved in the anomaly that has rocked the nation.

Baligod said it would be better for Napoles to surrender to the National Bueau of Investigation (NBI) for her own safety.

"Mas makakabuti sana kay Ginang Napoles na sumuko na lamang dahil iyung pagtatago niya ay nagdadagdag ng panganib sa buhay niya," he said. "Dahil meron ho kasing libro na hawak si Ginang Napoles na kung saan, nandoon iyung mga transaksiyon o mga napagkasunduan niya na sistema o sharing scheme with legislators."

Baligod said lawmakers involved in the scam do not want their names to come out in public.

"Hindi ako magtataka na iyung mga pulitiko na ito, ay ang magtatangkang hanapin si Ginang Napoles at kung maari huwag na siyang lumantad o kaya medyo mabibigay ng panganib sa buhay niya," he added.

Baligod said Napoles is in danger more than Luy or other whistleblowers.

"Mayroon pong hawak si Ginang Napoles, halimbawa, iyung cash vouchers po. Nandoon iyung mga pirma ng mga legislators. Meron din pirma iyung mga chiefs of staff o representatives ng mga legislators na tumanggap ng pera mula kay Ginang Napoles," he said.

He said the documents, if made public, will be strong evidence to show conspiracy between the businesswoman and some legislators whom he declined to name.

Napoles and her brother brother Reynald "Jojo" Lim went into hiding after a warrant of arrest was issued against them August 15 in connection with Luy's kidnapping and illegal detention.

Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda did not recommend bail for the charge of serious illegal detention.

The Court of Appeals, meanwhile, has slapped a freeze order on 514 bank accounts, insurance policies, and credit card accounts owned by Napoles and her associates.

Baligod believes that Napoles and her brother are still somewhere in Metro Manila.

"Meron kasi kaming pinagkukuhanan ng impormasyon. Ayon sa kaniya ay nasa isang building sila. Nakatago sila sa isang building. Iyung mga sasakyan nila, naka-park sa basement ng building na walang ibang may access. Sinasabi din po namin sa otoridad iyung natatanggap naming impormasyon," he added.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima last week said Napoles is still in the country.

The NBI has looked at a reported credit card transaction made by Napoles from a hotel in Pasig, and has sent agents to Mindanao where she allegedly has properties.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

DOJ eyes putting Napoles on Interpol red list

MANILA - Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Thursday said businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, the alleged mastermind in the P10 billion pork barrel scam, is still in the country. She said the National Bureau of Investigation is working on putting her on Interpol's red list in case she slips out of the country.

De Lima said there is no indication Napoles has left the country, pointing out the difficulty of doing so since Napoles' passport has been cancelled.

She said the NBI is already pursuing several leads in arresting Napoles. However, the agency is cool to the idea of putting a bounty on Napoles since whatever bounty the government may impose maybe peanuts to Napoles' assets.

"No indication nakalabas. Mahihirapan kasi cancelled passport. NBI working on Interpol red list lalo na cancelled na passport. The NBI continues to have debate kung, debate karamihan sa kanila, di na raw kailangan kung P1 million, P2 million (bounty) peanuts lang sa if we think of the resources of the subject of manhunt," she said.

She also pointed out that some of the most wanted fugitives are still on the loose despite 2-million-peso bounties on their heads.

"As a matter of principle, di rin maganda rin mercenary element. Alam natin gaano kataas interest ng publiko so enraged by this. Umaasa rin kami sa tulong ng sambayanan," she said.

De Lima said the NBI is still preparing the cases and collating the documents that will be used in filing the strongest cases related to the pork barrel scam. She said they can only file cases connected to Napoles since she is the focus of the investigation.

Other cases will have to be filed regarding the bigger scam as uncovered by a recent Commission on Audit report.

"Standing instruction ng Pangulo ay kung ano malalakas na kaso na pwede nang i-file, i-file na ASAP. Now as you know, ang ini-imbestigahan ng NBI are the Napoles components or portions of the PDAF and even the malampaya fund scams. Even before lumabas yung COA special audit report, yun talaga tinutukan ng NBI gawa ng disclosures ng whistle-blowers. So yung Napoles portions lang nalaman sa COA report mas malaki ito di iyan sakop ng NBI," she said.

Number of cases being finalized

The NBI is focusing its investigation on the alleged pork barrel scam as well as the alleged misuse of P900 million in Malampaya funds being linked to Napoles. De Lima said fake non-government organizations being linked to Napoles are also under investigation.

"Kung ilang kaso at ilan kakasuhan namin, yan fina-finalize pa namin. Katulad ng Pangulo, hindi pa namin pwede sabihin kung sino-sino kakasuhan namin other than Napoles," she said.

De Lima said an inter-agency, anti-graft coordinating council has been formed to probe the bigger scam uncovered by COA. The lead office in this council is the Ombudsman.

"'Yan ang tumutututok sa mga large scale , large scale corruption cases at nagkaroon na kami ng initial discussions diyan. Nagka-initial meeting with Ombudsman and COA. Yung sa Napoles component of the scam sa PDAF meron na kaming mga na-identify na mga pwedeng kasuhan pero fina-file, dino-double check namin yan kasi gusto namin masiguro na yung documents andiyan and in fact kino-collate na iyan. Nawala lang 3 days (because of the weather) pero kundi sana nawala 3 days halos tapos na pag-collate ng documentary support."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Chito Miranda brings sex video case to NBI

MANILA -- Parokya ni Edgar frontman Chito Miranda wants to track down the suspect behind the leak of his controversial sex video with girlfriend Neri Naig.

The 37-year-old singer brought the case to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday to request a probe into the circulation of the private video.

In his affidavit submitted to NBI Director Nonnatus Rojas, Miranda cited a violation of the Republic Act 9995 or the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009.

If proven guilty of the violation, the one who leaked the video may be imprisoned for up to seven years and fined up to P500,000.

When the sex video scandal erupted early this month, Miranda said his room had been robbed. A hard drive, which contained the video among other files, were allegedly among those lost in the theft.

On Tuesday, NBI cybercrime division head agent Ronaldo Aguto said the agency has already launched an investigation and expressed confidence that they will track down the suspect behind the video's spread.

Last Saturday, Miranda only laughed off reports that a certain Alfonso Yanga Miranda who claimed to be his "son" was the one who released the sex video. In an open letter posted on Facebook, "Alfonso" said he was behind the robbery of Miranda's room.

The singer, however, only made light of the post.

It is unclear whether "Alfonso" was included in Miranda's affidavit submitted to the NBI. -- with a report from Zhander Cayabyab, dzMM

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Aman official under NBI custody may become state witness

MANILA, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has put an official of Aman Futures Philippines under protective custody.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said they are now studying the possibility of making Aman Futures financial manager Maria Donna Coyme a state witness.

Coyme already vowed cooperation with the government probe into the company. In her affidavit, she said she processed about P500 million in investments.

The firm allegedly swindled over P12 billion pesos from investors in Visayas and Mindanao.

source: abs-cbnnews.com