News

Miriam demands Gigi Reyes as state witness

           Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, on her speech at the Diamond Hotel on Thursday, insisted Gigi Reyes  to be one of the state witness. She said without Reyes' testimony, no other direct evidence will be available for the prosecution to prove plunder against Enrile.

Gigi Reyes, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile's former chief of staff, could qualify as a state witness because her testimony could be substantially corroborated and she doesn't appear to be the most guilty in the scam, the senator added.

            "The mere fact that the crime of plunder took place over a period consisting of many years, by itself shows what the law calls 'implied conspiracy,' Santiago said.

"There is no need to show that the Senator received the money himself, because the action of the [chief of staff] proved that there is sufficient circumstantial evidence. If the Senator was absent during the pay-off, this does not constitute proof of innocence," she added.

According to senator Santiago, the only way of Enrile to free himself is to show evidences that he tried to prevent commission of the other PDAF releases.

149 Civilians Freed by MNLF

             After a relentless military offensive involving helicopter rocket attacks and intense street fighting, 149 people escaped on Monday night and Tuesday morning from the MNLF, authorities said.

Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala, military spokesperson, said the rebels had been diminish from 70 percent of neighborhoods they had initially controlled and reduced to a few dozen fighters, to an estimated 200 when the conflict began.

             "They (the rebels) have nearly run out of bullets. They are practically defeated," Zagala stated.

In one of the biggest victories, Zagala said 123 hostages had been freed in a battle with rebels on Tuesday morning although there have been three soldiers died.

              There are thirty rebels killed over the past 24 hours, according to Zagala. This brought the total number 86 MNLF died, with 9 security forces and 4 civilians also killed.

But Zagala acknowledged that the rebels remained a threat, as they hid in homes and possibly continued to hold civilians as hostages.

               "This is not yet over... there are still pockets of resistance," he said, noting that the rebels were also occupying key areas in which they could shoot down at advancing troops.

Miriam accused Enrile on Zambo Rebellion

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, stated Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile "could easily afford" to fund the attack of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels in Zamboanga City with the million peso kickback from the pork barrel which is an issue till today.

Santiago believes that this is Senator Enrile’s “diversionary tactic”.
             "The public should consider his background as defense secretary during martial law, with a proclivity for coddling former police and military officials, and a feckless ambition to rewrite history,” senator Santiago said.  Meanwhile, the accused senator’s desk is still close for comments.
              Santiago also said that she is "morally convinced" of Enrile's "culpability" in the "expensive rebellion" in Zamboanga, as well as the attack at the Commission on Audit's office on Wednesday.
              “Enrile is so desperate that he is like a crocodile, who has left his maritime kingdom and is flapping around on land, still hoping to kill his prey," Santiago said.
               Senator Enrile is currently facing a plunder charge for receiving kickbacks from the alleged P10-billion pork barrel anomaly.