Businesswoman Janet Lim‑Napoles was found guilty by the Sandiganbayan Special Third Division on Monday for malversation of public funds tied to an infamous pork barrel scam and was sentenced to reclusion perpetua.
In a 165‑page decision issued December 5, the court held Napoles—along with former National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC) president Gondelina Amata—guilty over the misuse of roughly ₱19 million in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocated to livelihood projects under ex-Benguet Rep. Samuel Dangwa. The funds were allegedly diverted to bogus non‑government organizations linked to Napoles, with no legitimate projects delivered to beneficiaries.
Under the ruling, Napoles and Amata must also pay a fine of around ₱9 million and are jointly liable to return the misused amount to the government through the Bureau of the Treasury—with six percent annual interest from the finality of the verdict until full payment. Amata will additionally face lifetime disqualification from holding public office.
The court applied the maximum penalty bracket for malversation after determining that the misused amount exceeded the ₱8.8 million threshold under the Revised Penal Code, justifying the reclusion perpetua sentence.
This latest conviction adds to Napoles’s string of legal setbacks tied to the multi‑billion‑peso PDAF scam, the country’s biggest legislative‑fund graft scandal.
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