Napoles convicted of malversation, graft over ex-Benguet rep's PDAF

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

December 8, 2025 | 12:59pm

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has convicted Janet Lim Napoles and several others of malversation over the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of the late Benguet lawmaker Samuel Dangwa.

In a 165-page decision dated November 21, the anti-graft court sentenced Napoles to reclusion perpetua — or 20 to 40 years’ imprisonment — in two criminal cases.

Convictions

In one malversation case involving P10 million of Dangwa’s PDAF, the court also found former Technology Resource Center deputy director Dennis Cunanan and CARED Foundation head Mylene Encarnacion guilty.

The three were ordered to return the P10 million to the government with 6% annual interest.

In another case involving P9 million, Napoles and former National Livelihood Development Corp. president Gondelina Amata were likewise convicted and sentenced to reclusion perpetua.

Both were fined P9 million and held jointly and severally liable for the restitution amount, plus legal interest.

Other penalties imposed

In a separate malversation case, Napoles and several co-accused received penalties of reclusion temporal (up to 20 years) and prision mayor (up to 12 years). The court also directed the return of all misappropriated funds.

Napoles and her co-accused were additionally found guilty of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Charges dismissed against deceased accused. The court dismissed the charges against Dangwa, Eulogio Dimailig Rodriguez, Romulo Magahis Relevo and Emmanuel Alexis Gagni Sevidal following their deaths.

The following are the penalties incurred by Napoles and her co-accused for violating the anti-graft law:

Criminal Case No. Amount Involved Penalty (Imprisonment) Additional Penalties

SB-15-CRM-0037	P1,000,000.00	Indeterminate penalty of 6 years and 1 month (minimum) to 10 years (maximum).	Perpetual disqualification from holding any public office and loss of all retirement or gratuity benefits.
SB-15-CRM-0038	P10,000,000.00	Indeterminate penalty of 6 years and 1 month (minimum) to 10 years (maximum).	Perpetual disqualification from holding any public office and loss of all retirement or gratuity benefits.
SB-15-CRM-0039	P8,000,000.00	Indeterminate penalty of 6 years and 1 month (minimum) to 10 years (maximum).	Perpetual disqualification from holding any public office and loss of all retirement or gratuity benefits.
SB-15-CRM-0040	P8,000,000.00	Indeterminate penalty of 6 years and 1 month (minimum) to 10 years (maximum).	Perpetual disqualification from holding any public office and loss of all retirement or gratuity benefits (implied, consistent with the standard penalty for this violation).
SB-15-CRM-0041	P8,000,000.00	Indeterminate penalty of 6 years and 1 month (minimum) to 10 years (maximum).	Perpetual disqualification from holding any public office and loss of all retirement or gratuity benefits.
SB-15-CRM-0042	P 9,000,000.00	Indeterminate penalty of 6 years and 1 month (minimum) to 10 years (maximum).	Perpetual disqualification from holding any public office and loss of all retirement or gratuity benefits.

Here are the penalties incurred by Napoles and her co-accused for being guilty of malversation:

Criminal Case No. Malversed Amount Penalty (Imprisonment) Fine Amount & Civil Liability

SB-15-CRM-0043	P10,000,000.00	Reclusion perpetua	Ordered to pay a fine of PHP 10,000,000.00 and held jointly and severally liable to reimburse PHP 10,000,000.00 (plus 6% annual legal interest).
SB-15-CRM-0044	P1,000,000.00	Indeterminate penalty of 2 years, 4 months and 1 day of *prision correccional* (minimum) to 7 years, 4 months and 1 day of *prision mayor* (maximum).	Ordered to pay a fine of PHP 1,000,000.00 and held jointly and severally liable to reimburse PHP 1,000,000.00 (plus 6% annual legal interest).
SB-15-CRM-0045	P8,000,000.00	Indeterminate penalty of 10 years and one day of *prision mayor* (minimum) to 17 years, four months and one day of *reclusion temporal* (maximum).	Ordered to pay a fine of PHP 8,000,000.00 and held jointly and severally liable to reimburse PHP 8,000,000.00 (plus 6% annual legal interest).
SB-15-CRM-0046	P8,000,000.00	Indeterminate penalty of 10 years and one day of *prision mayor* (minimum) to 17 years, four months and one day of *reclusion temporal* (maximum).	Ordered to pay a fine of PHP 8,000,000.00 and to reimburse PHP 8,000,000.00 (plus 6% annual legal interest).
SB-15-CRM-0047	P8,000,000.00	Indeterminate penalty of 10 years and one day of *prision mayor* (minimum) to 17 years, four months and one day of *reclusion temporal* (maximum).	Ordered to pay a fine of PHP 8,000,000.00 and held jointly and severally liable to reimburse PHP 8,000,000.00 (plus 6% annual legal interest).
SB-15-CRM-0048	P9,000,000.00	Reclusion perpetua	Ordered to pay a fine of PHP 9,000,000.00 and held jointly and severally liable to reimburse PHP 9,000,000.00 (plus 6% annual legal interest)