The Court of Tax Appeals has lifted the warrant issued for the arrest of Jeane Catherine Napoles, daughter of pork barrel scam principal accused Janet Lim Napoles.
Jeane appeared before the Tax Court during the hearing of her motion to lift and cancel the bond.
Stephen David, lawyer of Napoles, apologized before the Tax Court and told them he was the one who advised her not to attend the April 29 hearing believing it would be cancelled due to their pending motion.
Napoles has a pending motion for reconsideration seeking the reversal of the dismissal of their motion for judicial determination of probable cause.
The Tax Court ordered her arrest after she failed to appear for arraignment in her tax evasion case before its third division.
In her urgent motion, the young Napoles said her absence “was not because of any intent to disrespect or disobey the directives, notices and procedures of the Honorable Court but solely because of the advice of her counsel who believed that her presence was not needed considering that there are still pending incidents for the resolution of the Honorable Court.”
Her lawyer said the young Napoles intended to attend her arraignment last month and was even within the court premises but had opted to follow his advice.
David said Napoles who was based in the US flew back to the Philippines to face the charges leveled against her.
Tax court justices told David that he should avoid being too presumptuous. David asked the court for forgiveness. The court accepted the apology and citing good faith on the part of Jeane Napoles lifted the warrant and reinstated the bail bond posted for her temporary liberty.