The Sandiganbayan has imposed another life sentence on convicted pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles for siphoning off ₱19 million in public funds to bogus nongovernment organizations.
In a 165-page ruling promulgated on November 21, the court’s Special Third Division found Napoles and multiple co-accused guilty of two counts of malversation involving the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of the late Benguet 2nd District Representative Samuel Dangwa.
The court confirmed that the group illegally diverted ₱19 million from Dangwa’s allocations.
Under the law, malversation involving amounts exceeding ₱8.8 million carries the penalty of reclusion perpetua — 20 years and one day to 40 years — for each count. The cases against Dangwa and three other accused were dismissed due to their deaths.
In one case, Napoles, former Technology Resource Center deputy director Dennis Cunanan, and CARED Foundation president Mylene Encarnacion were convicted for illegally channeling ₱10 million. Each was fined ₱10 million, permanently disqualified from public office, and ordered to return the full amount with 6% annual interest.
In a separate ₱9-million malversation case, Napoles and former National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC) President Gondelina Amata were likewise sentenced to reclusion perpetua, fined ₱9 million each, banned from government service, and held liable for restitution with interest.
Other related cases resulted in lighter penalties or acquittals due to insufficient evidence.
The newest convictions further expand Napoles’ lengthy list of judgments, reinforcing her central role in one of the Philippines’ most notorious corruption scandals — long before the more recent multibillion-peso flood control racket came to light.