In a landmark move last Jan. 19, the Supreme Court granted the petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed by lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, chief of staff of Juan Ponce Enrile when he was a senator.
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Sandigan junks Enrile bid to reconsider ruling on prosecution witness testimony By JULIA MARI ORNEDO, GMA News
Published May 26, 2021 4:43pm
Former senator Juan Ponce Enrile speaks at President Rodrigo Duterte s weekly televised briefing on May 17, 2021. Screencap from RTVM video The Sandiganbayan has once again rejected former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s bid to exclude as evidence the testimony of a prosecution witness in connection with the plunder charge against him and the pork barrel scam. In a resolution dated May 19, the anti-graft court denied “for lack of merit” Enrile’s motion for reconsideration asking the Sandiganbayan to set aside its January 13, 2021 resolution that declined his wish to exclude lawyer Ryan Medrano’s judicial affidavit.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Denied by the court was Napoles’ motion to suppress evidence “for being inadmissible for any purpose in any proceeding in any court or tribunal under Section 18 of Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Law.”
Napoles has one plunder and 15 graft charges before the anti-graft court in connection with Enrile’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) which the former senator allegedly endorsed to the bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) owned the businesswoman.
The case against Enrile is still pending. The former senator is out on bail “on humanitarian reasons.”
In her motion, Napoles claimed that the evidence ranging from their office’s Daily Disbursement Records, Summary of Rebates, draft endorsement letters, project listings, memorandum of agreements, and working financial plans should be deemed as inadmissible as they are “fruits of the poisonous tree.”