Sandigan ruling on JPE plunder cases out in June

A decade since its filing, the plunder case against Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, his former chief of staff Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes and detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles will finally be decided next month.

- ELIZABETH MARCELO

In a text message to The STAR, Sandiganbayan Third Division executive clerk of court Dennis Pulma confirmed that the promulgation of decision on the plunder case of Enrile, Reyes and Napoles has been set for June 21.

Pulma added that all parties to the case have been notified of the promulgation date.

The promulgation of decision was tentatively set this month but had to be moved to June as the Third Division resolved first a pending motion by the prosecution, Pulma said.

Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman on June 5, 2014, the plunder case stemmed from Enrile’s alleged receipt, through Reyes, of a total of P172.83 million in commissions or kickbacks from Napoles in exchange for the alleged allocation of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel to the latter’s bogus non-government organizations, during his term as a senator from 2004 to 2010.

Napoles is currently detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City also for plunder in connection with the misuse of P517 million in PDAF of Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr.

Enrile was granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2015 for “humanitarian consideration,” citing his frail health and old age.