Why Lacierda met Napoles in a cemetery and PNoy had to go to Crame | ABS-CBN News

LACIERDA AS BRIDGE
It was Lacierda who served as the bridge to Napoles’ surrender. Lacierda was once an associate in a law firm co-headed by Kapunan.
It was Wednesday noon when Lacierda first called up Kapunan upon seeing a news item on the ABS-CBN News Channel quoting Kapunan that her client is willing to surrender if her security could be ensured.
“So I said: ‘So what do you want? So you want to surrender?’ And she said at that point: “We would like to surrender. If at all, let me confirm with my client that we would like to surrender to the President.” Why the President? “Because [he’s] the person that we trust,’” Lacierda narrated to reporters.
Lacierda then informed the President of the developments who then instructed Secretary Mar Roxas and Chief PNP Director General Alan Purisima to make the necessary security preparations.
Lacierda boarded a vehicle escorted by security personnel to meet Kapunan in the agreed meeting place. Kapunan was with Janet’s husband, retired Marine major Jimmy Napoles.
“When they boarded, I asked them: ‘Where are we going?” And sinabi ni Mr. Jimmy Napoles… was: ‘Let’s go to Heritage Park,’” Lacierda said.
Lacierda was updating the President of the developments. The President was concerned about Lacierda’s safety.
“The President made sure to tell, instructed Secretary Mar Roxas, to provide this thing with escorts kasi nga PNP si… DILG si secretary Mar Roxas. So the President was concerned for my safety, so that’s why we had to inform the President, nasaan na ako,” Lacierda said.
Lacierda, however, had no clue that Heritage Park was a cemetery located in Taguig.
Asked if he felt any apprehension about his safety given the nature of the final meeting place, Lacierda said, “You know, the benefit of it was I didn’t know where that place was. Hindi ako taga-roon e. So sinabi ‘Heritage, punta tayong Heritage.’ Sabi ‘nung driver, alam niya, so hindi ko alam kung ano ‘yon e. So hindi ko pala alam sementeryo pala ‘yon.”
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