Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile on Monday reported back to work, five days after he posted P1.45-million bail for the plunder and graft charges filed against him in connection with the alleged P10-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund scam.
Accompanied by his daughter Katrina, the 91-year-old lawmaker arrived at 2 p.m. and proceeded straight to his Senate Minority Office at the sixth floor of the Senate building.
”I’m not excited. I’m just going to work. It is my duty to come here and earn my pay,” Enrile told the media before he entered the plenary hall for the 3 p.m. regular session.
When asked if he is ready to join the plenary debates on major bills particularly the Bangsamoro basic law (BBL) and the proposed 2016 national budget, Enrile responded: “I will see.”
Enrile did not participate in the first day of the BBL debates but he stood up to register abstention votes when Senate approved on third reading House Bill 4660 providing 30 days judicial leave privileges each year to all judges and Senate Bill 2898 expanding the coverage of incentives granted to national athletes, coaches and trainers. PNA
In July last year, Enrile surrendered at Camp Crame after the Sandiganbayan issued warrant of arrest in relation to the plunder and graft cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly receiving P172-million kickbacks from the PDAF he released through Janet Lim Napoles’ bogus non-government organizations.
A week ago, the Supreme Court granted Enrile’s petition to post bail on the grounds of old age and health frail.
When also asked if he will support a presidential candidate in 2016, Enrile answered: “I am no longer a politician.”
Enrile said he hardly missed the Senate work “because I read a lot (while inside detention) about world and everything.”