Dispatch from Crame No. 354:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima's statement on the indictment of Janet Napoles and her family by a United States grand jury

8/3/18

The indictment of Napoles and her family by a US grand jury is a result of the coordination of the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman with the US Government during the time the PDAF investigations were being undertaken. This is welcome news, given the fact that the present Duterte administration has made it a point instead to release plunderers and partner with them instead of prosecuting them, Napoles included.

We must only remember that it was the Duterte government through SolGen Calida who had Napoles acquitted from kidnapping charges on appeal and eyed her as a state witness in the PDAF cases pending with the Sandiganbayan. At least, with the US indictment of Napoles and her family, we can at least rely on justice being done for us in another country while injustice continues to reign in our own.

The US indictment of Napoles and family is a clear repudiation of the Duterte government's efforts through then Justice Secretary Aguirre to rehabilitate Napoles and use her against uncooperative legislators. Its partnership with plunderers and corrupt politicians notwithstanding, there is still that silver lining that makes us hope that if not now, then someday, all of the plundering thieves that Duterte has rescued from ignominy will still face justice.