Honasan refuses to enter plea in graft raps

Senator Gringo Honasan. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Sen. Gringo Honasan refused to enter a plea on Friday in the graft cases filed against him involving the alleged misuse of his pork barrel funds.

This prompted the Sandiganbayan Second Division to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf during the senator’s arraignment.

BACKSTORY: Honasan ordered arrested for graft

Honasan’s arraignment proceeded as the court, chaired by Associate Justice Oscar Herrera Jr., junked the four motions his party filed, including: a motion to quash the warrant of arrest; a motion for reinvestigation; a motion to dismiss; and a motion to defer arraignment.

The court denied all the motions because the period for filing had already lapsed. Under the rules of court, a motion should be filed within five days upon receiving the resolution of probable cause.

When asked by reporters why he refused to enter plea, Honasan said: “It’s with the courts already.”

BACKSTORY: Honasan insists on innocence, vows to fight graft raps

Honasan was accused of misusing P30 million of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), which was supposed to finance small and medium enterprise or livelihood projects for Muslim Filipinos in communities in the National Capital Region and in Zambales. /idl