Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – State prosecutors never admitted in court to having no evidence that Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile received kickbacks through an alleged pork barrel scam.
Deputy Ombudsman Gerard Mosquera made this clarification on Thursday (September 24) following reports that the prosecution handling Enrile’s case said they lacked evidence against the senator.
According to newspaper reports, the prosecution admitted this during the last bail hearing of businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles before the Sandiganbayan Third Division.
When asked by the justices whether Enrile himself received money from Napoles, newspaper reports quoted prosecutors as saying there was no direct link between the two.
But Mosquera said such reports are inaccurate.
He explained the supposed admission does not reflect in the transcript of that particular hearing.
The Ombudsman maintains they have enough evidence to prove Enrile and his former chief of staff Atty. Gigi Reyes conspired with Napoles, the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind, in funneling funds to the businesswoman’s bogus non-government organizations (NGO) in exchange for commissions.
“If you go to the transcript of stenographic notes and relevant records, arguments during closing statement, prosecution clearly outlined its case, listed evidence indicates that conspiracy existed between Enrile and Reyes,” Mosquera said.
Even though the senator’s signatures do not appear in letters endorsing pork projects to non-existent NGOs, Mosquera said lawmakers, in this case Enrile, is accountable for his pork barrel.
“The act of one is the act of all. And the prosecution has been able to establish by evidence it has presented that such conspiracy exists,” said Mosquera.
Mosquera also pointed out that the evidence submitted by the prosecution against Enrile during the course of Napoles’ bail hearing before the Third Division are unrefuted, as the defense did not submit any counter evidence.
