16 senators sign appeal for Enrile house arrest

MANILA, Philippines — Sixteen  senators,  including Senate President  Franklin Drilon, have  signed a letter of appeal  to the  Sandiganbayan  to  allow Senator Juan Ponce Enrile to be detained  at his residence  in Makati City.

The letter dated March 9, 2015,  was  initiated by Acting Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

“May it please the Honorable Court to be provided the journal of the Senate containing the privilege speech of the undersigned on the matter of the possibility  of granting the  situs of detention of former Senate  President/Senator Juan   Ponce Enrile at his residence in Dasmariñas  Village, Makati City,” Sotto said in the letter.

“As expressed in said  speech, compassion is urged to be extended to Senator Enrile  on account of his health condition and his being 91 years old already,” he said referring  to his motion on the floor last March 2 where he urged his colleagues to pass a resolution, asking the  proper authority to exercise  its  “judicial compassion”   and allow Enrile to be detained at  his residence  in  Makati City.

“Other senators have expressed conformity with the intent and tenor of said privilege speech, and undersigned have undertaken this opportunity to submit the same as an attachment in any  previous or future motion of the  counsel of Senator Enrile seeking the grant of said  house arrest,”  Sotto added.

Sotto said he filed  the appeal at the Sandiganbayan this Thursday.

Aside from Sotto,  the  15 other senators who signed the letter of appeal were   11 administration  allies like  Drilon, Ralph Recto, Grace Poe, Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV,  Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Sergio Osmeña, Sonny Angara, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos  Jr., Cynthia  Villar, Loren Legarda, and  Lito Lapid and three opposition members — Senators Nancy Binay, Gringo Honasan and  Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito.

The  five  senators who did not sign the appeal were Miriam Defensor-Santiago,  Alan  Cayetano, Pia, Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV, and  Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel  III.

Enrile has been under hospital arrest   on plunder and  graft charges   in connection with the pork barrel scam  while Senators  Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and  Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.  have been detained  at  a detention  facility   in Camp Crame in Quezon  City for the same charges.