Court enters not guilty plea for Gigi

Gigi Reyes upon arrest. Photo courtesy of Carlos Santa Maria via Twitter.

MANILA — On behalf of lawyer Jessica “Gigi” Reyes, who was weeping after the complaint was read to her, the court entered yesterday a not guilty plea during her arraignment at the Sandiganbayan.

“On advice of my counsel your honors, I am not entering any plea,” Reyes told Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang.

She was reported to have experienced breathing difficulties and almost vomited after the proceedings which prompted the justices to have the nurses check her blood pressure and put her on a wheelchair.

Reyes was a former chief of staff of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and is also currently facing charges before the anti-graft court for her alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

She, however re-filed her petition before the Supreme Court to stop her criminal indictment in the anti-graft court.

The high tribunal  earlier rejected her pleading over a procedural defect on grounds that the relief she was asking for was not supplemental to the original petition she filed last month.

On the contrary, the Supreme Court ruled that the dismissal was  without prejudice to seeking of proper remedy, allowing Reyes to file a new petition with the same arguments.