Cunanan enters 'not guilty' plea in pork scam cases

MANILA, Philippines- One of the co-accused of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile on Wednesday was allowed to be arraigned ahead of the legislator on two counts of graft cases before the Sandiganbayan.

During his conditional arraignment before the 3rd Division of the anti-graft court, Dennis Cunanan, former director general of the Technology Resource Center, entered  a not guilty plea for the criminal charges.

Cunanan has been arraigned even before the Court could issue a resolution of the motions filed by Enrile camp, asking the plunder and graft charges against the senator be dismissed.

The Court, however, has yet to resolve Cunanan's request to be allowed to travel abroad to attend an event in Japan and US of the Junior Chamber International where he serves as secretary general.

Prior to his arraignment, Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang told Cunanan the implications of being conditionally arraigned, such as the accused could not invoke a double jeopardy clause if the information against him would be amended.

The cases against him before the Court will proceed even if he is absent during the hearings, Tang added.