Chief presidential legal counsel Juan Ponce Enrile has been acquitted in the ₱172-million plunder case by the Sandiganbayan Special Third Division. His former aide Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes and Janet Lim-Napoles were also cleared of the case.
The court hearing was initially scheduled for May 2024. However, it was repeatedly postponed and finally proceeded on October 4. The final verdict was reached after the demurrer evidence was granted in Enrile’s plunder case. The defendant argued that the prosecution’s evidence against them was inadequate.
“We haven’t done anything. I hope that the people who filed those cases against us will examine their conscience,” Enrile told reporters.
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On June 5, 2014, the Ombudsman filed a complaint against Juan Ponce Enrile and five other individuals over a ₱172 million pork barrel scam. The case detailed that the money was sourced from Enrile’s Priority Development Assistance Fund from 2004 to 2010.
In 2018, the Sandiganbayan found one of the individuals, Napoles, guilty of plunder in a separate case involving the misuse of Senator Ramon Revilla Jr.’s fund.
Other pork barrel scam cases were also filed against Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada. However, they were eventually acquitted.
Once cleared of the case, Enrile shared the following message to the reporters at the scene: ”I thank the magistrates. This is vindication for all of us.”
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While Juan Ponce Enrile appears to have a positive reaction to the outcome, many netizens do not share the same sentiment. They have commented on several posts covering the former senate president’s case.
This only serves as encouragement for sitting and future officials to plunder bigtime that as a crime they can be assured of absolution instead of punishment. Well done SandiganBayan or Sandigan ng mga magnanakaw.
— Wrightnow (@Writenowbro) October 4, 2024
“This only serves as encouragement for sitting and future officials to plunder big time that as a crime they can be assured of absolution instead of punishment. Well done Sandiganbayan or Sandigan ng mga magnanakaw,” one Twitter/X user commented on the Philippine Inquirer’s post.
Why I am not surprised with this? A lot has been cleared from plunder including the mother of bbm. Free for all to steal money. Go luck Pilipinas.
— @remymartian (@remymartian) October 4, 2024
“Why I am not surprised with this? A lot has been cleared from plunder, including the mother of bbm. Free for all to steal money. Go luck, Pilipinas.” another commented on the same post.
Hayyy. Sa kabilang buhay nalang siguro magbabayad yan.
— Jackjack (@jackjackk321) October 4, 2024
“Hayyy. Sa kabilang buhay nalang siguro magbabayad yan,” a user shared his honest reactio on a post published by Rappler.
Haha! Not surprised at all.
— hungavoist (@bagelsy) October 4, 2024
One user even commented on his expectations with: “Haha! Not surprised at all.”
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