SC orders Sandigan to answer Gigi’s petition

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan has been ordered to comment on a petition of lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes to stop her indictment related to the pork barrel fund anomaly.

The Supreme Court (SC) gave the anti-graft court 10 days from receipt of notice to comply with the order.

It ordered the consolidation of Reyes’ petition with other pork barrel scam-related petitions, including those of Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada.

Last July 18, Reyes asked the SC to quash the Sandiganbayan’s arrest warrants for plunder and 15 counts of graft and allow her to be released from detention.

She sought a temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction to stop the anti-graft court’s third division from hearing and resolving the criminal cases against her that the Office of the Ombudsman filed last month.

Reyes reiterated that the anti-graft court committed “grave abuse of discretion” in “hastily” issuing the arrest warrants.

She said the Sandiganbayan failed to perform its duty of personally evaluating the evidence on record in determining the existence of probable cause to warrant her arrest.

Reyes said her constitutional right to due process was violated because she allegedly did not receive copies of all statements, transcripts of hearings or meetings held with Ruby Tuason and affidavits related to the case that would have enabled her to sufficiently answer the charges.

She accused the Office of the Ombudsman of committing “grave abuse of discretion” in upholding the resolution of the investigating panel last March 28 and filing the case before the anti-graft court last June 6.

Reyes alleged that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales violated her right to equal protection of the law when she granted immunity from prosecution to Tuason and the other whistle-blowers.