Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – The Supreme Court (SC) En Banc granted the petition for bail of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile during its session on Tuesday (August 18).
SC Public Information Office chief and spokesman Theodore Te said the court granted the petition for bail “subject to the terms and conditions to be specified by the court in its order which will be forthcoming”.
Last year, the Office of the Ombudsman found probable cause to charge Enrile with graft charges before the Sandiganbayan over the alleged misuse of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
The senator is facing 15 counts of graft. The recommended bail is P30,000 per count, or a total amount of P450,000.
Enrile’s lawyer, Atty. Joseph Sagandoy, said they will immediately post the required bail so that Enrile can again actively perform his duties and responsibilities as a senator.
In a statement, Senate President Franklin Drilon said they respect the decision of the high court and that they will follow and implement every decision of the courts.
“We will abide by the legal processes as we have always done in the past,” Drilon said.
Prosecutors yet to rest case on Jinggoy’s bail hearing
Detained senator Jinggoy Estrada will have to wait longer before the Sandiganbayan can decide on his bail petition.
This is because state prosecutors on Tuesday (August 18) have again decided not to rest their case just yet.
The prosecution finished questioning a forensic expert from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Estrada’s camp expected this witness would be the prosecution’s last, but the prosecutors told the court they have one more witness to present. Atty. Alexis Abastillas, Estrada’s lawyer, said it is impossible to predict now when the bail hearing will be over.
Estrada has been detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center for over a year now. The senator is facing a plunder case in connection with an alleged pork barrel scam.
Meanwhile, Estrada’s extensive medical checkup results mostly turned out normal. These include CT scan, chest x-ray, and blood chemistry.
The senator previously complained of recurring headaches and acid reflux, which prompted the court to allow him to check in at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center and undergo checkup.
In a medical certificate he submitted to the court, Estrada’s doctors recommended that he go on a low calorie diet, quit smoking, and exercise due to an initial diagnosis of mild coronary artery disease.
Estrada’s bail hearing will resume Monday next week.
CNN Philippines’ Anjo Alimario and AC Nicholls contributed to this report.
