ENRILE, REYES ACQUITTED IN P172-M PDAF CASE

The Sandiganbayan acquitted on Friday, Oct. 24, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, his former chief of staff Jessica “Gigi” Reyes, former deputy chief of staff Jose Antonio Evangelista II, businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, and 29 others of their 15 graft charges involving the alleged misuse of Enrile's P172 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) when he was a senator.

- By CZARINA ONG KI

The 193-page per curiam (by the court with the writer unidentified) decision was signed by Associate Justices Ronald B. Moreno, Arthur 0. Malabaguio and Juliet M. Manalo-San Gaspar.

However, the anti-graft court imposed civil liabilities on Napoles and several others despite their acquittal.

The civil liabilities imposed per graft charge are P20,000,000, P24,250,000, P19,400,000, P29,100,000, P22,500,000, P24,250,000, P24,250,000, P14,550,000, P9,700,000, P8,000,000, P20,000,000, P25,000,000, P25,000,000, P32,000,000, and P40,000,000.