MANILA - The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology has informed the Sandiganbayan 1st Division that businesswoman and plunder convict Janet Lim Napoles was transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City last Friday.

In a letter sent by Taguig City Jail Warden Editha Balansay to the anti-graft court, Napoles, who was referred to as a Person Deprived of Liberty, has been committed to the CIW from the BJMP facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, as ordered by the court.

Napoles was found guilty of plunder in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam involving former senator Bong Revilla. The former lawmaker was cleared of the charge.

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“The undersigned respectfully informs your honorable court that on January 4, 2019, the said PDL Janet Lim Napoles was properly turned-over to Correctional Institute for Women (CIW), escorted by 12 STAR Team escorts from BJMP-NCRO, headed by J/Supt. Bernabe Ruiz and 11 personnel of this unit,” Balansay said.

The BJMP letter was addressed to Associate Justice Edgardo Caldona, who signed the mittimus or the commitment order on December 27, 2018 which stated that Napoles should start serving her sentence on that day.

Napoles however was not immediately transferred to the CIW and the court had to reiterate its order in a hearing last Friday when the urgent motion for reconsideration by Napoles was denied.

The appeal of Napoles was on the ground that Caldona, a junior member of the 1st Division, signed the mittimus as “Chairperson”.

An earlier appeal of Napoles also stated that she preferred to remain at the BJMP facility because there are threats to her life at the CIW.

• Sandigan reiterates order to transfer Napoles to Mandaluyong facility