SC orders Sandigan to answer Enrile bail plea

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Sandiganbayan to answer the petition of suspended Senator Juan Ponce Enrile who insisted that he be allowed to post bail for his temporary liberty.

Enrile is facing a case for plunder for allegedly pocketing over P170 million in kickbacks from his priority development assistance fund (PDAF) from 2004 to 2010.

High court’s Information Chief Theodore Te said the Court en banc “required the respondent to comment on the petition within 10 days from notice.”

In his 70-page petition for certiorari filed last September 4, Enrile asked the Court en banc to act on his petition, expedite the certiorari proceedings and to set the case for oral arguments.

Aside from asking that he be allowed to post bail, Enrile also asked the High Court to set aside the rulings of the Third Division of the anti-graft court, which is handling the cases against him last July 14 and August 18 junking his bid to post bail for his temporary liberty.

Enrile said he should be allowed to post bail since the prosecution failed to present strong evidence against him and that the charges “cannot even 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.

Enrile is 90 years old.

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