Janet Lim Napoles sentenced to 80 uears for Malversation, Graft in PDAF cases

Sentenced to 80 years in prison, the Sandiganbayan found businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles guilty of two counts of malversation of public funds tied to the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of the late Benguet Rep. Samuel Dangwa. The anti-graft court, in its 165-page decision, also convicted Napoles of graft alongside former Technology Resource Center (TRC) Director General Dennis Cunanan and Group Manager Ma. Rosalinda Lacsamana.

In a separate case, Napoles was convicted with former National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC) President Gondelina Amata. Charges against Dangwa and three others were dismissed due to their deaths.

The first malversation case involved P10 million from Dangwa’s PDAF, with Cunanan and Mylene Encarnacion, president of the Countrywide Agri and Rural Economic Development (CARED) Foundation, Inc., as co-accused. All three were fined P10 million, ordered to return the same amount, and Cunanan was barred from holding public office.

The second case concerned P9 million, implicating Napoles and Amata, both fined P9 million and permanently barred from public office, with restitution ordered. Napoles has been detained at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City since 2015 and was previously sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018 for plunder.