Napoles met with politicians, assistant says

Former maid's daughter saw Napoles' bathtub filled with cash

MANILA - A daughter of the maid who Janet Napoles sent to jail for alleged theft said she personally saw the businesswoman meet politicians, as well as her boss' cash-filled bathtub.

"Lily," one of the whistleblowers in the pork scam case, is the daughter of the maid that Napoles sent to jail for alleged theft.

Lily, who later became Napoles' personal assistant, denied allegations that her mother stole from Napoles.

At a court hearing on Tuesday, Lily could not help but feel bad for her mother, Dominga Cadelina, who served 10 years as the personal maid of Napoles.

"Bino-blower pa iyan ni mama ng buhok. Sinusuklayan niya hanggang makatulog," she said. "Kung 'di siya makatulog, minamasahe ni mama ang paa niya. Si mama pa nagprepare ng panty, binibihisan ni mama. Halos anak na ang turing sa kanya, inalagaan siya eh."

Dominga was sent to jail by the Napoles family in January after accusing her of stealing bags, some underwear and a jacket that allegedly amounted to nearly half a million pesos.

"Kung totoong nagnakaw ka, bakit iyun lang, sana pera na lang ang ninakaw mo. Sa sampung taon ginanun ka nila. Halos hindi ka makatulog sa pag-aalaga sa kanya," her daughter said.

Lily believes the Napoles family got angry with her mother when Dominga sided with whistleblower Benhur Luy.
   
She said she once asked her mother why Napoles' bathtub was filled with money.

"Sabi ni mama, 'Huwag ka na lang maingay, kung anong nakita mo, yun na yun. Huwag ka nang maraming tanong,'" she said.

Lily said she herself witnessed Napoles' meetings with different politicians after she became the businesswoman's personal assistant.

She said she began suspecting something illegal when she was asked to sign documents using different names.

"Isinama niya ako sa office na nagsusulat kami ng mga pangalan. Kasi minsan kapag may delivery, gumagawa kami ng mga pangalan tapos pinipirmahan namin," she said.

Because her mother is in jail, Lily refused to be placed under the Witness Protection Program.

"Walang dadalaw kay mama. Walang maghahatid po sa kanya ng pagkain," she said.

The public attorney's office believes the charges against Dominga are made up.

"Bakit hindi ang may-ari ang magreklamo? Bakit mga lalaki? Pambabae ang mga gamit, ibig sabihin nagpa-panty sila?" asked Public Attorney's Office chief Persida Acosta.

Lily is confident her mother will be cleared of the allegations. - ANC