Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines—After refusing to release the mug shots of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, the Philippine National Police said Saturday it would also not issue any update on the detained 90-year-old politician.
“Upon request of [Senator Enrile’s] family thru their lawyers, we will not be releasing mug shots and all other updates to the public or the media,” Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, public information chief of the PNP, said.
Enrile’s lawyer, Enrique dela Cruz, also declined to give updates on the senator’s condition.
“Sorry. We’re no longer allowed to give interviews. My apologies,” Dela Cruz said in a text message.
With this development, no medical bulletin has been issued by the PNP hospital since his hospital confinement on Friday night.
After Enrile had his eye check up at a private hospital in Makati early Saturday morning, his two children visited their detained father.
Former Congressman Jack Enrile and his sister Katrina went to see their father for almost three hours inside his air conditioned room at the PNP General Hospital.
The two, however, also refused to grant an interview.
Sindac clarified that the senator was technically not yet under court jurisdiction since his warrant of arrest had not yet been returned to the Sandiganbayan.
His arrest warrant would be returned at the Sandignbayan on Monday where the anti-graft court would issue commitment order for the senator’s detention.
Enrile is currently under temporary hospital arrest to monitor his medical condition.
The Sandiganbayan ordered the arrest Friday of Enrile on plunder charges in connection with his alleged misuse of the “pork” barrel funds.
His colleagues at the Senate, Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, are both detained at PNP Custodial Center after they surrendered late last month.
Both had their mugshots taken and released to media.
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