Senators urge house arrest for Enrile

MANILA, Philippines - Senators urged Thursday the Aquino administration to be more compassionate to Senate minority leader Juan Ponce Enrile, who was rushed to the Makati Medical Center due to pneumonia.

Sen. Nancy Binay said she is praying for the fast recovery of Enrile, who has been detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Binay said it would be best for Enrile to be “transferred permanently to another hospital recommended by his attending physician—a hospital capable of providing his medical needs.”

Acting minority leader Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Juan Victor “JV” Ejercito said the 91-year-old senator should be allowed house arrest.

“For humanitarian considerations, JPE (Enrile’s initials) should be allowed house arrest. At that advance age and condition, he needs proper care at home,”  Ejercito said in a text message to reporters.

Sotto said he would  also study the  possibility of filing a motion  on the floor on Monday  to ask that  Enrile be given house arrest.

Sen. Francis Escudero, meanwhile, was cold to the idea, saying that it would be difficult for the Senate to make a stand on the issue otherwise the chamber can be accused of trying to influence the court.

In a statement, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said he hopes that Enrile is allowed to post bail by the court. It will be better than house arrest, said Estrada who is charged with plunder along with Enrile and Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla  Jr.

The charges stemmed from the senators’ alleged misuse of their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel.

“He should be granted bail for humanitarian reason not only house arrest,” Estrada said in a statement.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV thinks the detained senator should stay under hospital arrest. “I believe that a hospital is still the best place to take care of his fragile health.”