The Supreme Court’s decision allowing temporary liberty for lawyer Jessica “Gigi” Reyes does not exempt her from attending the trial of her plunder and graft raps in connection to the pork barrel scam.
The Sandiganbayan ruled that Reyes’ failed attempt for a waiver of appearance in her case was in accordance with the Supreme Court’s decision, which states that she must be physically present during the trial days of her pending plunder and graft charges.
Earlier, the high court ruled in Reyes’ favor and granted her the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus last 17 January, paving the way for her temporary release from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology custody.
“We will still maintain that we have to comply with this condition. It is very clear and categorical that she should appear personally in trial for her criminal cases,” Sandiganbayan Third Division Associate Justice Bernelito Fernandez said Thursday.
“We note the waiver of appearance, but we have to comply with the directives of the Supreme Court,” he added.
The former chief of staff of then-senator and now Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile served nearly nine years in prison after being accused of funneling P172.8 million from Enrile’s Priority Development Assistance Fund. The money allegedly went into bogus non-governmental organization projects associated with former businesswoman Janet Napoles — the alleged mastermind of the fiasco.
“After discussion and deliberations with other members of this Division, the court will maintain compliance to the Resolution of the Supreme Court dated January 17, 2023 directing accused Reyes to be personally present during the hearing of criminal cases filed against her before the Sandiganbayan as one of the conditions for her release in her petition for habeas corpus,” Fernandez said.