MANILA – Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, a former chief aide of former senator Juan Ponce Enrile, has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to act on her plea for a possible release from detention on plunder charges linked to the multi-billion pork barrel scam.
In her petition for habeas corpus filed before the high court on Thursday, Reyes said she has remained under detention since July 9, 2014, when she was arrested and detained for alleged involvement in the plunder case at the Taguig City Jail Female Dormitory in Camp Bagong Diwa.
A writ of habeas corpus is a legal remedy applicable for prison inmates, or others acting on their behalf, to dispute the legal basis of their detention.
Reyes pointed out that her co-accused Enrile was released on bail by the SC on Aug. 20, 2015, after he was first detained on July 4, 2014.
Meanwhile, another accused former senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada was also released on bail on Sept. 16, 2017.
She also cited that former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was detained from Oct. 4, 2012, and released upon acquittal by the SC on July 21, 2016.
Another lawmaker, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. was detained on June 20, 2014, and released upon acquittal by the Sandiganbayan.
Reyes has claimed innocence of the charges and pointed the blame to Jose Antonio V. Evangelista, her former deputy in the office of Enrile.
In September last year, the Sandiganbayan rejected Reyes’ plea for temporary liberty, citing that she is not at risk of contracting the coronavirus disease 2019 inside the jail facility. (PNA)
