Napoles not safe in Makati City jail - warden

MANILA, Philippines - The Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 on Friday heard the petition filed by the lawyers of businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles to have her transferred from the Makati City Jail (MCJ) to another detention facility.

In the hearing, Napoles' lawyer Lorna Kapunan presented acting city jail warden Chief Inspector Fermin Enriquez to the court, who admitted that he could not personally guarantee the safety of the beleaguered businesswoman.

Napoles was transferred to the city jail from the Philippine National Police's national headquarters in Camp Crame on Thursday night.

Enriquez told the court that the city only has 65 personnel guarding the 104 female inmates (including Napoles) and 441 male inmates.

"We cannot guarantee the safety of inmates 24/7 especially during at night and at sleeping time," said Enriquez.

According to Enriquez, although the women’s dormitory of the jail facility has 23 jail guards for the 104 female inmates, only six guards actually perform custodial duties.

Enriquez told the court that the facility's personnel was only recently augmented with 52 jail guards from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Regional Office to secure Napoles. But according to him, even with the augmentation, Napoles' security could not still be assured.

Life in danger

Kapunan argued that Napoles' life is in danger from her fellow inmates inside the MCJ, especially at night.

"As Janet Lim Napoles is already a victim of public ridicule, there is nothing to prevent the inmates from harming her. The beds at the MCJ are too close to each other," said Kapunan.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas announced after the transfer of Napoles that the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam mastermind was placed inside a small and air-conditioned office that was converted into a detention room, which is excluded from the actual detention cells of the other female inmates of the facility.

Roxas said that a 24-hour "visual" security will be implemented for Napoles, who will be accompanied by two female guards inside the detention room.

Fajardo also admitted that riots are always a possibility inside the MCJ and that visitors would only need to present an identification card to enter the MCJ during visiting hours.

Kapunan argued before the court presided by Judge Elmo Alameda that a person intent on harming Napoles could pretend to be a visitor to enter the facility.

"That only shows that the person has an ID but is not really a relative of any inmate," she said.

Kapunan then asked Enriquez if he would recommend the transfer of Napoles to another jail facility. Enriquez said "yes."

Fort Sto. Domingo

Kapunan initially asked the court to have Napoles transferred either to Camp Crame or Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan Taguig.

The detention facility at the Special Action Force's training school at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna was added to the list as a third option the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) National Capital Region Director, Sr. Supt. Roberto Fajardo took the witness stand.

Fajardo suggested to the court that Fort Sto Domingo could better house Napoles as it was also the former detention place of Moro National Libation Front chief Nur Misuari and now Senator Gringo Honasan.

Fajardo said that aside from having a kilometer-long perimeter fence, the detention facility at Fort Sto. Domingo is also inside the SAF training school. He told the court that the SAF or police commandos are among the augmentation forces sent by the PNP to secure Napoles at the MCJ.

Fajardo assured Alameda that the PNP would be able to prepare the detention facility at Fort Sto. Domingo for Napoles.

Enriquez, when called back to the witness stand, also agreed with Fajardo in choosing Fort Sto. Domingo as the possible detention facility for Napoles.

Judge Alameda told both the government prosecution lawyers and Napoles' lawyers that the motion for transfer is now set for resolution.

Prosecution lawyers said they would not be objecting to a change of detention facility for as long as Napoles would attend all her hearings at the Makati court.