News Briefs: Feb. 20, 2019

Enrile’s plunder trial suspended sans Napoles

Juan Ponce Enrile’s trial for plunder, which was set to begin on Tuesday, has been indefinitely suspended.

Trial was cancelled after Enrile’s coaccused, pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles, has yet to be allowed by the Supreme Court to attend her trial at the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division.

Enrile and Napoles face plunder and graft cases for allegedly colluding to pocket government funds from Enrile’s Priority Development Assistance Fund.

Napoles had been convicted of a similar case by the Sandiganbayan’s First Division and had been committed to the Correctional Institution for Women.

Napoles’ coaccused in that case, former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., had been acquitted.

National prisoners are not allowed to leave detention without prior authority from the Supreme Court. —Patricia Denise M. Chiu

PPCRV again accredited by Comelec

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has again accredited the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) to be its citizens’ arm in the 2019 midterm elections.

In an 11-page resolution, the Comelec en banc said PPCRV had a track record in election watchdog duty.

PPCRV, the Comelec said, had “ably demonstrated its capacity to promote the public interest and assist this commission.”

PPCRV was established in October 1991 by the Archdiocese of Manila to help educate voters and guard against election fraud. —Tina G. Santos

Spain, WB eye P7-B aid for Marawi City

The Spanish government is working on a package of financial aid for Marawi City that could reach P7 billion, according to a top Spanish Embassy official.

Jorge Moragas, Spanish ambassador to the Philippines, said his country was “working together with the World Bank ” for the financial aid.

Moragas said while he could not be definite about the amount, “it’s about” P7 billion “together with the World Bank.”

The Spanish government, he said would put in P2 billion while the World Bank would add P5 billion.

The Philippine government needed at least P70 billion for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi, which had become a battleground between Islamic State forces and Philippine soldiers. —Julie Alipala