Despite the often intense coverage of recent natural calamities like the October 15 killer quake and just the other day the much-hyped super typhoon Yolanda , the glare of publicity on the dramatic exploits of Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the P10 billion pork barrel scam, remains a standout in the annals of public relations gambits. Indeed, there were conscious efforts to divert the attention of the public to downplay the impact of the Lim-Napoles caper, but still it remains a sought-after publicity material. At the rate the Lim-Napoles coverage hitting fever pitch, no way that it will go away that easy. This was compounded by how heightened the clamor for the head of the pork barrel queen to roll as wont any criminal offender who deserves no less than the gallows. The crescendo of her popularity hit apex levels when she appeared last week before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee where . by the looks of it, she concededly was lost in limbo due to incoherent answers to questions by inquisitive senators.

Whatever, she remains innocent until proven guilty by the courts, although the lynch mob already handed down its verdict of conviction. But why our penchant for anything Napoles? To this BGlante, anyone who conquers poverty by all means, fair or foul, always mesmerizes us no end. Like Napoles. Born poor in the dusty roads of Maluso, Basilan and armed only with a high school diploma, she stormed Manila like her own playground and got away with it except that she is entangled in monumental plunder of public funds. But at least, at one time or another, she enjoyed the life of the rich and famous only to pay dearly for it, by landing in jail. Is there hope of extrication? By the looks of it, it appears to be nil unless she is allowed to turn state witness. But that is another story.

That’s the colorful life and times of Janet Lim-Napoles. And one lesson to be learned in the scheme of things as a role model of swindlers is that poverty is never an excuse for failure. As a dropout, we appreciate her glamour in seducing senators and congressman to part with their Priority Assistance Development Fund in exchange of handsome kickbacks ranging from as low as 50% of the PDAF to as high as 70% representing the share of the solons. Like a snake oil sales lady, she succeeded in charming her way with the PDAF of lawmakers that in 10 years, the equivalent of P10 billion was lost in public funds. Retaining 30 or 50% of the loot is enough for Napoles to hobnob with Manila’s high flying social strata by strutting around with 28 houses, dozens of luxurious cars, and fat bank accounts. The act of doing monkey business with the likes of Senators Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla is enough for this BGlante to take his hats off to Napoles’ talent to lure the big shots of Philippine politics to part with their pork barrel.

How this poor girl from Basilan is best summarized in this recent article of the Philippine Daily Inquirer where she was chastised for claiming that she inherited P 2 million from his father. The claim of  businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles that she inherited P2 million was surprising because her father, Johnny Lim, was bankrupt when he died and had nothing to leave his children, people who knew Napoles since high school days said. Friends of Napoles said that in fact, Napoles’ family became so poor that her mother, Magdalena, sold banana cue outside the Claret High School so she could feed her children. “Jenny would come to our house with a bowl of rice in one hand and ask us for dried salted fish each day,” Rohana Cabayacruz, the alleged pork scam queen’s high school classmate, said.

Cabayacruz said her family then had a small eatery in front of the Lim house on Port Holland in Maluso, Basilan. A physician, who wanted to remain anonymous, agreed with Cabayacruz’s account of Napoles’ life. The physician said Napoles’ family had become so poor that she was not even able to wear decent dress. “Her dress was so dirty and was soaking wet in sweat,” Cabayacruz said. But she said Napoles was so enterprising she could practically make cash out of anything, as if she was endowed with the Midas touch. “Each day, she would come to school with her big bag full of candies and school supplies. She would sell them during recess,” she said. The physician said Napoles was “witty, talkative and persistent” that she sold many items to their classmates. “She has this strong convincing power. Even teacher and nuns regularly bought from her,” he said. Cabayacruz said Napoles would save the money she raised from selling goods to her classmates and teachers and would use a portion of it to pay for her tuition.

Another high school classmate, who also declined identification, said Napoles also sold goods at the Catholic church during Sundays. Even when her mother, Magdalena, married Piana Luy, a member of the landed Luy clan in Maluso, Napoles’ life never became better, the classmates said. Her time with the stepfather was in fact one of the worst stages in Napoles’ life as she and her sibling were treated unfairly by members of the Luy clan. “So it was not possible she got any inheritance from the Luys,” another classmate said. Barely a year after graduating from high school, Napoles disappeared from Maluso.  Her classmates said they later learned that she got married to a man she  met on a ship bound to Manila. That man turned out to be Jaime Napoles, who would later become a Marine major and the intelligence chief of the military’s Southern Mindanao command, then the only military command for the southern Philippines.

“When we finally met after high school, I was in disbelief. She was already rich. She even made me carry her bag then, which was stuffed with money,” Cabayacruz said. She said as far as she could recall, Napoles told her that she got into the supply business. “She became a supplier of charcoal and chickens, and also spare parts for military tanks, aircraft and communication equipment,” Cabayacruz recounted what Napoles had allegedly told her. Another classmate, who also did not want to be identified for some reasons, believed that whatever Janet has in life now was achieved with the help of her husband. “Her husband was her strong influence,” the classmate said. Cabayacruz said despite the allegations against Napoles, they believed that she remained the same “Jenny” they used to know. “Her family was the most important for her and always defended her kin. She was also very religious,” Cabayacruz said.