MANILA, Philippines–Claiming that her signatures were forged and that there was no proof that she received kickbacks from the P10-billion pork barrel scam, the former chief of staff of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile has asked a Manila court to lift the freeze order on her bank accounts and dismiss the forfeiture case against her.
Lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, in a motion dated June 17, asked the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) to exclude her assets in the forfeiture case filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) against personalities implicated in the pork barrel scam.
Reyes, a coaccused in the plunder and graft charges in the Sandiganbayan, said the statements of whistle-blowers Benhur Luy, Merlina Suñas and Nova Kay Macalintal against her did not specify how she supposedly conspired with Enrile in the scam.
“There is no allegation, much less any proof as to when, where and how the supposed conspiracy was planned,” she said.
“Not one of them has directly and positively declared that she had received money from Enrile’s PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund),” Reyes added.
She filed the motion after the Manila RTC issued a second batch of provisional asset preservation order in relation to the AMLC bid to recover assets linked to the pork barrel scam.
Reyes cited a forensic study conducted by a former NBI agent which concluded that the signatures in documents used to implicate her were forged.
That the signatures were forged “is consistent with Luy’s own confession that he himself forged the signatures of various legislators and representatives,” she added.
“Considering her numerous functions as chief of staff, (Reyes) had little or limited participation in relation to the PDAF allocated to Senator Enrile,” the motion said.