14-day Search finally ends: Napoles surrenders

Janet Lim-Napoles, a fugitive and the alleged brain of the P10 billion Pork Barrel scam had already surrendered to Pres. Benigno Aquino III after a P10 million reward to those who can give information to where she is was earlier announced. “At 9:37 p.m. on August 28, Janet Napoles surrendered to President Aquino,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a statement.

Napoles is wanted on charges of serious illegal detention arising from the alleged kidnapping of Benhur Luy, her personal assistant who has turned whistleblower.

Luy and other former staff of Napoles blew the whistle on the conversion of P10 billion in lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund into kickbacks by Napoles and her company using dummy foundations, bogus beneficiaries and forged signatures of officials.

In a radio interview, Kapunan said her client surrendered for fear of her life. “There are really people who want to keep her silent permanently,” Kapunan said. “Therefore now is the right time. She said she has nothing to hide anyway,” she added.

Kapunan said she did not know where Napoles hid, adding she had no communication with her client before the fugitive businesswoman’s surrender.

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. MalacaƱang said., "Serious illegal detention is not a bailable offense."

Details of the surrender have yet to be disclosed, although Napoles is said to be held at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

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