Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile should not be jailed in a regular cell for his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.
In an ambush interview on Monday, Belmonte said there should be “leniency” on those accused who are of “advance[d] age.”
“Even the law allows some leniency in the case of persons already of advance[d] age like myself, more so like (Enrile),” Belmonte said.
Enrile, along with senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr., were charged with plunder and graft before the Sandiganbayan.
They are accused of being involved in the scam of diverting their Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) to ghost projects for kickbacks.
Also charged is alleged mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, whose bogus non-government organizations were allegedly used as fronts for the scam.
Belmonte said Enrile should instead be jailed in an enclosed facility so the senior senator could “move around.”
“Let him move around, even if it is inside the camp. Basta huwag ikukulong…,” Belmonte said, stressing that Enrile is already in his twilight years.
“Definitely, the other two who are younger are more fit (for jail),” he added in Filipino, referring to Estrada and Revilla.
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