Sandiganbayan bars Enrile, co-accused from leaving PH

By: Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Tetch Torres-Tupas - 10 years ago

Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Sandiganbayan third division on Tuesday issued a hold-departure order (HDO) against Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles and their co-accused in plunder and graft charges in connection with the pork barrel scam.

Among the co-accused who were also barred from leaving the country were:

Jessica “Gigi” Reyes, Enrile’s former chief of staff

Janet Napoles, alleged mastermind

Janet Napoles children Jo Christine Napoles and James Christopher

John Raymund De Asis, Napoles’ employee

Ronald Lim, Napoles’ nephew

Others included in the HDO were Budget undersecretary Mario Relampagos; National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor) former president Allan Javellana; former Technology Resource Center (TRC) directors-general Antonio Ortiz and Dennis Cunanan; National Livelihood Development Corp. President Gondelina Amata;

Nabcor former employees Victor Cacal, Romulo Relevo, Maria Guanizo, Maria Julia Villarolvo-Johnson, Rhodora Mendoza;

NLDC employees Emmanuel Sevidal, Sofia Cruz, Chita Jalandoni;

TRC employees Francisco Figura, Marivic Jover, Ma. Rosalinda Lacsamana;

Napoles non-government organization heads Mylene Encarnacion (Countryside Agri and Rural Economic and Development Foundation) and Evelyn De Leon (Philippine Social Development Foundation);

The others are: Renato Ornopia; Aileen Palama; Amparo Fernando; Myla Ogerio; Margarita Guadinez; Gregoria Buenaventura; Eulogio Rodriguez; Evelyn De Leon; Fernando Ramirez; Nitz Cabilao; Emmanuel Sevidal; Ofelia Ordonez; and Filipina Rodriguez.

Also barred from leaving are Chita Jalandoni; Sofia Cruz; Jocelyn Piorato; Dorilyn Fabian; Hernani Ditchon; Rodrigo Galay; Laarni Uy; Victor Cacal; Maria Guanizo; Consuelo Espiritu; Jose Antonio Evangelista; Rosario Nunez; Lalaine Paule; Encarnita Munsod; Maria Julia Villarolvo-Johnson; Romulo Relevo; Noel Macha; Francisco Figura; Ma. Rosalinda Lacsamana; and Marivic Jover.

This after the anti-graft court’s fifth and first division, respectively, barred Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. and their co-accused from leaving the country.

The third division is chaired by Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, with Associate Justices Samuel Martires and Alex Quiroz as members.

Senators Enrile, Revilla, and Estrada face plunder and graft charges at the Sandiganbayan for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

The Ombudsman said it found probable cause to indict Revilla with one count of plunder and 16 counts of graft; Enrile with one count of plunder and 15 counts of graft; and Estrada with one count of plunder and 11 counts of graft.

Also charged was Napoles.

The pork barrel scam is an elaborate scheme of allegedly diverting billions of Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) to ghost projects for kickbacks.