Court junks Enrile bid to quash case

Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Sandiganbayan has denied former Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile’s motion to quash a P172.83-million plunder case over the pork barrel scam.

The court’s Third Division in a resolution released released on Tuesday affirmed the validity of allegations of plunder.

“In sum, the court finds that the information sufficiently alleges the ultimate facts constituting the crime of plunder. Thus, accused Enrile’s motion to dismiss/quash deserves denial,” said the resolution penned by Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang.

It cited the Supreme Court as saying Enrile “impliedly admits” the charge’s validity when he petitioned that prosecutors be ordered to detail the allegations more specifically so he could mount a proper defense. This ruling could no longer be questioned because it had long attained finality, the court said.

The 92-year-old politician is currently out on bail after the Supreme Court in August 2015 allowed him to do so on “humanitarian considerations.”