Anti-graft court urged to detain accused in pork barrel scam in nearest jails
Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Two militant lawyers urged the Sandiganbayan, on Sunday, to follow its own regulations and order the detention of all accused in the plunder cases against Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla in a jail nearest to the antigraft court.
“Unless there are extraordinary extenuating reasons, they should be assigned to the nearest detention center. Infirmity due to advanced age might be such a reason,” Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello said, referring to the 90-year-old Enrile.
“But irregular heart palpitations are not,” he said, referring to lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, Enrile’s former chief of staff and coaccused in the plunder case.
Enrile, accused of accepting P173 million in kickbacks from businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, alleged brains behind the P10-billion pork barrel scam, is detained at Philippine National Police General Hospital in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Reyes, who has been ordered detained in Bicutan Jail at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, is confined at Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City, undergoing tests for a cardiac ailment.
She has been moved twice since she was arrested and booked at the Sandiganbayan on July 4. She was supposed to be transferred to the Quezon City Jail, but the jail was not built to handle high-profile detainees like her.
Reyes was redirected to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) women’s dormitory at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City Wednesday night. But, according to her lawyer Anacleto Diaz, Reyes suffered a panic attack from the thought of rooming in with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and was rushed to Taguig-Pateros District Hospital early Thursday.
She was transferred to Philippine Heart Center (PHC) in Quezon City on Friday night after she complained of chest pain and difficulty of breathing.
Reyes has a pending motion to be detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, where Estrada and Revilla are also detained.
The Sandiganbayan Third Division will hear arguments on the motion on Tuesday.
Bello dismissed Reyes’ health complaints as nonlife-threatening.
“Everyone has irregular palpitations when sent to jail. C’mon. Jail and death are the great levelers. Let’s keep it that way,” Bello said in a text message.
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate complained about the “star treatment” being given to the three senators and their loyal staff members accused of looting the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
“That these so-called high-profile accused must be placed in the regular detention facilities just like the others who are similarly facing charges in court—some [for crimes lesser] than plunder—should not have been an issue today if we do not have a Janus-faced justice system,” Zarate said.
“It appears that [it is] better [for you to] plunder the nation’s coffers so that you will get star treatment as an accused,” he said.
Enrile was taken to an eye clinic in Makati City, Sunday morning for a checkup, the fourth time since he turned himself in to the police after being ordered arrested by the Sandiganbayan on July 5.
The Senate minority leader is suffering from macular degeneration in the right eye, which needs regular treatment to prevent loss of vision.
Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac, spokesperson for the PNP, said in a text message that Enrile was taken to the clinic at 8:30 a.m., in time for his 9 a.m. checkup.
The procedure lasted for 10 minutes and Enrile was back at PNP General Hospital by 9:30 a.m., Sindac said.
Unlike the first time, Enrile did not talk to reporters after his checkup. He left the clinic through an exit in the building’s basement.
His eyes reportedly hurt under the glare of light from news crews’ equipment.
Insp. Aris Villaester, spokesperson for the BJMP in Metro Manila, said Reyes would remain at PHC for further medical tests.
The hospital will issue a medical bulletin by Wednesday or Thursday, according to Villaester
“As of now, Reyes is still drowsy and wired, as monitoring is going on,” he said.
Villaester, who said earlier that the BJMP would shoulder the cost of Reyes’ hospitalization under its policy, corrected himself and said Reyes was paying for all her medical expenses.
Only incidental expenses, such as transportation, would be paid for by the BJMP, he said.
Earlier, Villaester said Reyes was confined in an ordinary but air-conditioned room. Yesterday, he modified that to “simple room.”
“The BJMP would like to correct that though it looks like an ordinary room, it is an [intensive care unit],” Villaester said. With reports from Julie M. Aurelio and Erika Sauler
