By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter

 THE Philippine government hopes that the money allegedly stashed in the United States by Janet Lim-Napoles and five members of her family will soon be returned to the Filipino people, Malacañang said.

The Palace issued the statement after the US federal grand jury indicted last Tuesday Ms. Napoles and five of her family members, Jo Christine Napoles, James Christopher Napoles, Jeane Catherine Napoles, Reynald Luy Lim, and Ana Marie Lim, for “domestic and international money laundering and conspiracy for multi-year bribery and fraud scheme.” The amount involved, according to the US Department of Justice, is approximately $20 million.

“With the help of U.S. authorities, who have been in continuous coordination with our government, the funds that Mrs. Napoles and her co-defendants attempted to hide away will soon be returned for the benefit of the Filipino people,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said in a statement issued on Thursday evening, Aug. 2.

He said the Palace views the indictment against Ms. Napoles “as a positive development, as it bolsters the government’s case against her before the Sandiganbayan.”

“The charge of money laundering against Mrs. Napoles and her co-defendants shows that there is reason to believe that they attempted to retain the ill-gotten gains from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam,” Mr. Roque added.

Mr. Roque also said it now “becomes imperative to charge all those who illegally profited from the transactions of Ms. Napoles regardless of their position or political affiliation.”

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR