Miriam: Gigi Reyes should turn state witness

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Thursday said Gigi Reyes should turn state witness against her former boss Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, who has been charged with plunder over the alleged pork barrel scam.

Santiago said that it appears that there is a conspiracy between the Enrile and Reyes, the senator's former chief of staff, in connection with the scam.

There are reports that Enrile's alleged lawyer, a certain Enrique dela Cruz, had denied that the senator approved the release of his pork barrel to non-government organizations (NGO) maintained by alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

In a statement posted on her Facebook account, Reyes said that she felt betrayed after learning of the lawyer's statement which seems that the senator's supposed involvement in the pork barrel scam is being passed on to her.

Santiago said that Reyes would be a very valuable state witness against Enrile. The senator gave reasons why the former chief of staff of Enrile should be used as a state witness:

• There is absolute necessity for her testimony with respect to the senator.
• Without her testimony, no other direct evidence will be available for the prosecution to prove plunder against that particular senator.
• Her testimony could be substantially corroborated in its material points.
• She does not appear to be the most guilty.
• There is no evidence that at any time, she has been convicted of any offense involving moral turpitude.

"Assuming for the sake of argument that giving pork barrel funds to the phony Napoles NGOs was the criminal design of his COS, under our laws, he merged his will into the common felonious intent. The senator can no longer repudiate the conspiracy, after it had already materialized," Santiago said.

The senator said that to prove his innocense from the possible conspiracy, Enrile should prove that he tried to prevent the release of his pork barrel to Napoles' NGOs and show evidence that "he tried to abandon or dissociate himself from his COS during the initial release of funds."

Enrile and other incumbent senators Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada, along with former congressmen, have been charged with plunder for allegedly receiving kickbacks in the pork barrel scam.

In an apparent attempt to hit back, Estrada alleged in his privilege speech on Wednesday that the senators who voted for the conviction of former Chief Justice Renato Corona received additional P50-million pork barrel from the Department of Budget and Management.

Budget Secretary Butch Abad has denied the allegation.

Estrada also urged the government and the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to investigate the other lawmakers mentioned in the pork barrel report of the Commission on Audit.