The Supreme Court has granted temporary liberty to 91-year-old Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.
Voting 8-4, the high court on Tuesday granted Enrile’s motion to reverse the Sandiganbayan Third Division’s ruling denying his bail plea.
READ: Sandiganbayan denies Enrile’s bail in plunder case
The decision came exactly a week after the SC sided with Enrile’s request for bill of particulars in his plunder case over his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.
READ: SC grants Enrile motion for bill of particulars
The bail is set at P1-million.
The four who dissented are Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio Associate Justices Estela Perlas Bernabe and Marvic Leonen.
Enrile is one of the three senators accused of plunder in connection with the pork barrel scam. He is currently in hospital arrest at the Philippine National Police General Hospital, while co-accused senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada are detained at the PNP custodial center.
Enrile went to the Supreme Court after the Sandiganbayan Third Division denied his motion that he be allowed to post bail.
In his 70-page petition for certiorari filed Sept. 4, 2014, Enrile said he should be allowed to post bail since the prosecution failed to present strong evidence against him and that the charges “cannot be considered a capital offense.”
At the same time, Enrile said he is not a flight risk considering that he even voluntarily surrendered to the authorities when the warrant for his arrest was issued by the anti-graft court.
He also cited his advanced age as another reason for the SC to grant his petition. Tetch Torres-Tupas/IDL
READ: ‘Frail’ health prompts Enrile to seek bail on plunder rap