Witness says Ong had Napoles acquitted for Kevlar mess

A witness in the multi-billion pork barrel fund scam on Friday said dismissed Sandiganbayan Justice Gregory Ong was behind the acquittal of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles in the malversation case she faced in connection with the alleged anomalous sale of 500 Kevlar Helmets to the Philippine Marines in 1998.

 

At the continuation of her testimony before the Sandiganbayan Third Division, Napoles' former employee Marina Sula insisted that Ong was Napoles "contact" at the anti-graft court.

 

Sula was testifying as the prosecution's witness in connection with Napoles' petition for bail for plunder case in connection with the pork scam.

 

During her cross-examination by Napoles' lawyer Lanee David, Sula recounted how, on Napoles' instructions, she used to forge signatures and falsify documents in order to register fake non-government organizations (NGOs) with the Securties and Exchange Commission (SEC).

 

Asked by Third Division chairman Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang whether Sula knew it was wrong and that a case could be filed against her, Sula replied: "Alam ko po na mali."

 

"Pero ang sabi po sa'min ni Madame (Napoles), 'Huwag kayo magalala, ako ang bahala sa inyo, tignan niyo yung nangyari sa Kevlar case, na-dismiss yung kaso ko'," Sula added.

 

Last month, the Supreme Court had affirmed its earlier decision to dismiss Ong, after found that that the magistrate fixed the Kevlar helmet case in favor of Napoles.

 

Ong's dismissal came with the forfeiture of his retirement benefits and his disqualification from holding any post in government offices and government-owned and controlled corporations.

 

Prior to his dismissal, Ong used to head the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division who handled the Kevlar Helmet case.

 

According Sula, Napoles has been repeatedly boasting about Ong as her contact at the Sandiganbayan.

 

"In-acquit siya (Napoles) ni Justice Ong....Yun lang po ang pangalan na palagi niyang binabanggit, yun daw po ang contact niya sa Sandiganbayan," Sula told the court.

 

Third Division member Associate Justice Samuel Martires, meanwhile, raised concern that Sula may be charged by Ong for her statement.

He asked the prosecution panel if it wanted Sula's statement stricken out from the record, but the prosecution decided that the statement be retained.

 

Martires then asked Sula if she knew of any other Sandigabayan justice that may have had ties with Napoles.

 

"Wala na po. Isa lang po talaga ang palaging sinasabi niya, si Justice Ong," Sula said.

 

Napoles had earlier denied any ties from Ong, saying that she only had a brief encounter with the latter in 2012, two years after the Kevlar Helmet  case was dismissed in 2010.

 

Napoles said that in 2012 Ong asked her to introduce him to the then Quiapo Church Parish Priest Monsignor Josefino Ramirez.

 

Napoles said Ong wanted to meet Ramirez to be given a chance to touch the robe of the image of the Black Nazarene as robe was believed to be miraculous.

 

During the hearing, Napoles became emotional, and through her lawyer Stephen David, manifested intention to speak but was not allowed by the Presiding Justice.

 

"You will have your turn to present her (Napoles) in court," Tang told David.

 

"Nonetheless, Mrs. Napoles would like to state that Justice Ong did not receive a single centavo from her even if she dies right now," David said, echoing what was whispered to him by Napoles.

 

After the hearing, Napoles said she cried during the hearing because of "pity" for Ong and anger because of the alleged lies of Sula.

 

"Naiiyak ako sa inis. Gusto ko talagang sabunutan e. Hindi ko alam kung paano siya nakakatulog sa gabi sa mga kasinungalingan niya," Napoles said crying.

 

"God knows, hanggang matapos yung kaso hindi ko kilala si Justice Ong, ni piso wala akong binibigay sakanya. Nakakaawa naman yung tao, na-dismiss na nga, sinisira pa nila," she added.

 

Napoles is currently detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology female dormitory in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig for multiple plunder charges in connection with the pork barrel fund scam. —NB, GMA News