Enrile says he may be dead before plunder case ruling

Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. (Photo by RYAN LEAGOGO / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — “Siguro patay na ako ’nun.”

[Maybe I would be dead by then.]

Former Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile gave this answer when was asked if the promulgation on his plunder case would soon be released.

In 2014, Enrile – along with then Sens. Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. – was indicted by the Office of the Ombudsman for plunder and multiple counts of graft in connection with a P10-billion pork barrel scam, allegedly masterminded by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

READ: WHAT WENT BEFORE: Napoles and the pork barrel scam

Last Friday, the Sandiganbayan’s Special First Division acquitted Revilla of plunder.

In a 3-2 vote, the anti-graft court ruled against prosecutors from the Office of the Ombudsman who accused Revilla of pocketing a P224.5-million in kickbacks in exchange for diverting his Priority Development Fund proceeds to the ghost projects of foundations set up by Napoles from 2006 to 2010.

READ: Pork barrel scam: Revilla acquitted; Cambe, Napoles guilty of plunder

Enrile also said that under the Duterte administration there was no doubt that he would also be acquitted of plunder.

“Sa isang makatarungan na gobyerno, wala akong kaduda-duda,” he said in an interview over AM radio station DWIZ on Saturday.

[In a just and fair government, I have no doubt about it.]

The 94-year-old Enrile also insisted that his former chief of staff, Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, who has been detained since 2014, was not guilty.

“Ang problema ko yung aking chief of staff ay nakakulong. Wala namang kamuwangmuwang yun, wala namang kasalanan yung tao na yun,” Enrile said.

[My problem is that my chief of staff in jail. But that person knows nothing about this issue and did not commit any crime.] /atm