Gigi Reyes taps Enrile lawyer Estelito Mendoza for plunder case

Lawyer Jessica "Gigi" Reyes has tapped the services of Estelito Mendoza in the P172-million plunder case that Reyes and her former boss Juan Ponce Enrile are facing in connection with the alleged misuse of Enrile's discretionary or pork barrel fund when he was a senator.

The 94-year-old Mendoza attended Tuesday's trial in a wheelchair. Reyes' other counsel, lawyer Anacleto Diaz, informed the Sandiganbayan Third Division that Mendoza wanted to make a manifestation and serve as collaborating counsel for Reyes.

"We cannot prevent the accused [Reyes] from getting the services of the collaborating counsel," Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Ronald Moreno said.

Mendoza, who was assisted in the proceedings by a staff member who transcribed the justices' comments so he could see them on an iPad, is also the 99-year-old Enrile's lead counsel in the same P172-million plunder case.

Diaz wanted the court to allow Mendoza to make a manifestation to present Tuesday's defense witness, Yolanda Doblon, even though it was Diaz and his son, lawyer Christian Diaz, who prepared her judicial affidavit.

Associate Justice Moreno then asked Mendoza for his manifestation, and Mendoza responded that Reyes' existing counsel was not able to point out a certain argument necessary in defending Reyes.

"I feel there is a part that Attorney Diaz could not manifest in front of the court...that is necessary for the defense," Mendoza said.

"There is something that he was not able to bring to the attention of the court that has to do with the bill of particulars," he added.

A bill of particulars, based on jurisprudence, details the specific allegations of the prosecution to the accused “to the end that the proof at the trial may be limited to the matters specified.”

Moreno, however, said Mendoza's manifestation is unclear and instead asked him to file his manifestation in writing "so the court can intelligently evaluate the same."

Mendoza submitted to Moreno’s ruling and was excused from the court proceedings for the day.

Reyes previously took the witness stand to deny that it was her signatures that were found on seven letters that endorsed non-government entities run by businesswoman Janet Napoles as implementing arms of projects/assistance funded by Enrile’s pork barrel. 

State prosecutors presented the letters, as well as Enrile’s March 2012 letter to the Commission on Audit (COA) confirming such signatures, as evidence against Reyes.

Reyes, however, told the court that Enrile’s 2012 confirmation letter to COA of his staff members’ signatures, including Reyes, did not pass through her even though she is the chief-of-staff.

Reyes also said it was Enrile’s Deputy Chief of Staff Jose Antonio Evangelista who made him sign the 2012 confirmation letter to COA because Reyes and Enrile were busy at the time with the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“I did not [ask Enrile to retract] and I do not have the authority to tell Senator Enrile to do anything,” Reyes responded during the cross examination of state prosecutor Jennifer Agustin-Se when asked if she asked Enrile to make a retraction letter to the COA with respect to the confirmation letter confirming the authenticity of Reyes’ signature on the PDAF endorsement letters. — BM, GMA Integrated News