Gigi Reyes can’t skip personal appearance in trial

MANILA, Philippines — The Third Division of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has turned down the bid of lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile’s former chief of staff, to waive her personal appearance in the trial of her plunder and graft cases in connection with the pork barrel scam.

Reyes attended the hearing of her cases before the Third Division yesterday, just a week after the Supreme Court granted her petition for a writ of habeas corpus that led to her release from the Taguig City Jail Female Dormitory after nearly nine years of detention.

Among the conditions set by the SC First Division in granting Reyes’ provisional liberty is her personal attendance at the hearings of her cases before the Sandiganbayan. The high tribunal also said that Reyes “shall submit a quarterly report to the clerk of court of the Sandiganbayan on her whereabouts.”

During yesterday’s hearing, however, Reyes’ legal team informed the Third Division that she submitted a waiver of appearance, arguing that the SC condition comes with the phrase “when she is lawfully ordered to do so.”

The Third Division immediately turned down Reyes’ bid, saying she must abide by the condition set by the SC to be present at all hearings.

“It is very clear and categorical, that she should appear personally in the hearings for her criminal cases,” Associate Justice Bernelito Fernandez said.

Reyes, however, may still file a motion for reconsideration.

Meanwhile, at the continuation of the hearing, the Office of the Ombudsman’s prosecution panel presented five witnesses – Dante Liongson, Renato Malonzo, Nestor Baltazar, Generoso San Gabriel and Gina Diaz, all farmers from Bulacan – who denied receiving any farm implements or agricultural assistance from their local government or from any other office.

The Third Division set the continuation of the trial for both plunder and graft cases on Feb. 7 and every Tuesday and Thursday thereafter.

Reyes refused to talk to members of media after the hearing.

It was in June 2014 when the ombudsman filed plunder and 15 counts of graft against Enrile, Reyes and businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the pork barrel scam.

The cases 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 from 2004 to 2010.

Napoles is currently detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City following her conviction for plunder in connection with the misuse of P517 million in PDAF of Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., who was acquitted.

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