Malacañang has urged the public to respect the Sandiganbayan’s decision acquitting former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and his co-accused of 15 counts of graft over the alleged misuse of ₱172 million in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocations.
In a statement, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the acquittal reflects adherence to legal standards, not leniency from the government.
“Nagsalita na ang korte, so igalang natin. Igalang po natin kung ano ang desisyon ng korte,” Castro said when asked to comment.
Enrile, who currently serves as Chief Presidential Legal Counsel to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., was among those accused in connection with the pork barrel scam.
Castro emphasized that the Palace remains bound by the principle of separation of powers, recognizing the independence of the judiciary.
“Papaano po tayo makakapagbigay ng anumang impluwensiya sa korte? Korte po iyan, may separation of powers at kailangan po nating igalang kasi kapag hindi po natin ginalang ang mga desisyon ng korte magiging chaotic country po tayo. So, mahirap po ‘yun. Dapat nating pagtiwalaan ang ating justice system,” she added.
According to Castro, President Marcos believes that cases must be filed only when evidence is complete, stressing that any doubt in criminal cases naturally leads to an acquittal.
Earlier, the Sandiganbayan formally cleared Enrile and his former chief of staff Gigi Reyes of graft charges linked to the pork barrel scam.
In its resolution, the anti-graft court ruled that the evidence was insufficient to establish conspiracy or misappropriation of public funds necessary to convict the accused of plunder.
Enrile was previously allowed by the Supreme Court to post bail in 2015 on humanitarian grounds, a decision penned by then Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin. Unlike his co-accused former Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada, Enrile never experienced actual imprisonment, remaining under hospital arrest before his provisional release.
The court’s ruling completes the acquittal of the three former senators implicated in the pork barrel scandal, even as Revilla and Estrada continue to face new allegations of corruption related to flood control projects.
At the time of the ruling’s release, Enrile—now 101 years old—was reportedly in the hospital and attended the proceedings via video conference.