Push Admin

Gigi Reyes plunder trial reset anew; witness busy with Senate budget hearing

Article (news)

Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2868569" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><address>Gigi Reyes&#x27;s plunder trial was reset again due to unavailability of her witness, who, like previous one, was busy assisting a senator in budget deliberations in the Senate. Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News</address>MANILA — The plunder trial involving lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes was reset for a second straight setting Thursday due to the unavailability of her new witness.Reyes was supposed to present lawyer Yolanda Doblon, the former head of the Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office (LBRMO), as her first witness. But the Sandiganbayan Third Division hearing the case received 2 letters from Doblon and from Sen. Loren Legarda, her new boss, that she would not be available for Thursday’s hearing because of the ongoing Senate deliberations on the 2024 national budget.Doblon is Legarda’s chief of staff.The anti-graft court cancelled Thursday’s hearing and set a new date for Doblon’s testimony after Reyes’ counsel, lawyer Christian Diaz, manifested that Doblon was still willing to testify.“We still intend to present, Atty. Doblon, your honor. Considering that she’s unavailable today but she has committed to testify on a subsequent date, your honor, we will move, your honor, for this Honorable Court to issue a subpoena to Atty. Doblon on a much later date,” Diaz said.“But on November 14, your honor, we will be prepared to present our next witness in the person of Atty. Reyes, your honor,” he added.Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Bernelito Fernandez granted Diaz’s oral motion. “Hence, the November 14, 2023 trial date is maintained and set the trial for Atty. Doblon on January 16, 2024, both at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Send the subpoena ad testificandum to defense witness, Atty. Yolanda Doblon at her address indicated,” he ruled in open court.Doblon was supposed to be Reyes’ first witness, after the first witness, Eireen Palanca, formerly from the LBRMO, also failed to show up in the previous hearing on Tuesday, November 7.Palanca was assisting Senate Finance Committee chair Sen. Sonny Angara, the sponsor of the 2024 national budget bill, as he faced his fellow senators for the plenary budget deliberations, based on Angara’s letter to the Sandiganbayan.Reyes is accused of conspiring with former senator and now Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile and “pork barrel queen” Janet Lim Napoles to amass P172.83 million worth of kickbacks from Enrile’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) funneled through ghost NGOs created by Napoles.The scheme involves the diversion of lawmakers&#x27; discretionary funds to bogus NGOs. The high court invalidated the Priority Development Assistance Fund system in 2013 when the racket was busted. While Enrile was allowed to move to dismiss the plunder charge through a demurrer to evidence — essentially a motion to dismiss on the ground of insufficiency of evidence — Reyes was not. She is required to present her witnesses.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/06/23/sandiganbayan-allows-enrile-to-move-to-dismiss-pdaf-case">Sandiganbayan allows Enrile to move to dismiss PDAF plunder case; denies Gigi Reyes&#x27; motion</a></li></ul>Enrile has invoked old age and his right to speedy trial to urge the anti-graft court to immediately resolve his demurrer.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/25/23/enrile-invokes-age-speedy-trial-in-urging-sandiganbayan-to-dismiss-plunder-case">Enrile invokes age, speedy trial in urging Sandiganbayan to immediately dismiss plunder case</a></li></ul>Enrile was released on bail in August 2015 upon order of the Supreme Court, citing his poor health and the unlikely possibility that he would escape.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/20/15/sc-issues-notice-judgment-granting-enriles-bail">SC issues notice of judgment granting Enrile&#x27;s bail</a></li></ul>Reyes, on the other hand, walked free in January 2023 after the SC granted her petition for habeas corpus on the ground that her detention since July 2014 has become oppressive and infringed her right to liberty.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/19/23/enriles-former-aide-gigi-reyes-released-from-jail">Enrile&#x27;s former aide Gigi Reyes released from jail after almost 9 years</a></li></ul>Napoles remains detained after having been convicted in several charges, among them, plunder, graft and malversation.

The plunder trial involving lawyer Gigi Reyes was reset for a second straight setting Thursday due to the unavailability of her new witness.

Gigi Reyes plunder trial reset anew; witness busy with Senate budget hearing

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

News

Gigi Reyes plunder trial reset anew; witness busy with Senate budget hearing

Mike Navallo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 09, 2023 05:48 PM PHT

Read More:

Gigi Reyes

plunder

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.