MANILA - Levito Baligod, lawyer of whistle-blower Benhur Luy, said 17 former JLN employees approached the Department of Justice on Thursday to support Luy's allegations against Napoles. Baligod said three offered to stand as witnesses against their former employer. He also said Napoles tried to convince the new witnesses to tag Luy as the mastermind of the pork barrel scam. This brings to 27 the total number of JLN employees who have implicated Napoles in the scam. The witnesses also claim Napoles has ties with a Sandiganbayan justice. "May isang justice ng Sandiganbayan na pagkakaalam ko na isa eto sa humawak sa kaso nila Ginang Napoles," Baligod said. Baligod also explained why Napoles does not want to be detained in a regular cell of the Makati City Jail. He said a former maid - supposedly framed by Napoles - is an inmate there. Mornings@ANC, August 30, 2013