Enrile, Estrada, Revilla pleas vs. 'pork' cases dismissed
Motions of Napoles and children also junked
MANILA, Philippines —The Ombudsman denied the motions for reconsideration filed by senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada and Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. and their co-respondents.
In a joint order dated June 4, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said the motions "carry verbatim repetitions of issues and claims raised" by respondents in their counter-affidavits for the plunder charges.
"Evidently, the motions for reconsideration are rehashes of the arguments previously raised by them and already resolved by this office," Morales said.
The Ombudsman indicted the respondents in April after having found probable cause to push through with the cases.
"Probable cause ... refers to such facts as are sufficient to engender a well-founded belief that a crime has been committed and the respondent is probably guilty thereof and should be held for trial," Morales said in the joint orders.
She said that suspicion was not basis for probable cause against the senators, businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, officials of implementing agencies that supposedly acted as conduits for Napoles' dummy organizations, and other private respondents including Napoles' children.
Morales explained that sworn complaints, testimonies of witness, public documents on the lawmakers' Priority Development Assistance Funds, Commission on Audit special report, business ledgers, corporate papers of Napoles' NGOs, field verification results and admissions of some respondents themselves contribute to the validity of the case.
Denial of the motions may prompt the Ombudsman to file the cases soon before the Sandiganbayan.
The Ombudsman also denied the motions for reconsideration of the following respondents:
- Jessica "Gigi" Reyes
- Jose Antonio Evangelista II
- Francisco Figura
- Marivic Jover
- Antonio Ortiz
- Alan Javellana
- Maria Julie Villaralvo-Johnson
- Romulo Relevo
- Chita Jalandoni
- Filipina Tolentino Rodriquez
- Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal
- Sophia Daing Cruz
- Gondelina Amata
- Ofelia Ordoñez
- Mario Relampagos
- Rosario Nuñez
- Lalaine Paule
- Marilou Bare
- Jo Christine Napoles
- James Christopher Napoles
- Eulogio Rodriguez
- Dorilyn Agbay Fabian
- Nitz Cabilao
- Ronald John Lim
- Renato Ornopia
- John Raymond de Asis
- Ma. Ninez Guañizo
- Maria Julie Villaralvo-Johnson
- Gregoria Buenaventura
- Romulo Relevo
The Ombudsman, moreover, junked the applications for immunity of Napoles and former government officials Victor Roman Cacal, Dennis Cunanan and Rhodora Mendoza.
- Latest
- Trending
