AFTER years of legal proceedings, former senator and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile has been acquitted of his remaining graft charges linked to the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam. Here’s a quick look at the key details:
The Sandiganbayan Special Third Division has acquitted Enrile over the alleged misuse of his P172.8 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). The ruling was penned by Justice Ronald Moreno and promulgated on October 24, 2025.
Also acquitted were Enrile’s longtime chief of staff Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, former deputy chief of staff Jose Antonio Evangelista II, and businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, along with 15 others. The court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The anti-graft court did not impose any civil liabilities or fines on the group, effectively clearing them of all remaining legal obligations in the case.
Now a centenarian, Enrile was unable to attend the promulgation because he is currently confined in a hospital. Napoles, who remains detained for other PDAF-related cases, joined the proceedings via online appearance, while Reyes and several others were physically present in court.
The charges stemmed from accusations that Enrile’s PDAF from 2004 to 2010 was funneled into Napoles’ “ghost” non-government organizations in exchange for kickbacks. The alleged scam, which also implicated Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada, sparked national outrage and led the Supreme Court to abolish the PDAF system in 2013. (TPM with JGS)