Enrile asks SC to stop Sandiganbayan from hearing his plunder case

A smiling Enrile waived to the media before he left his house. Photo courtesy of Joyce Ilas via Twitter.

MANILA — Detained Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to stop the Sandiganbayan from hearing his plunder case in connection with the alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

In a 75-page petition, Enrile, through his counsel Estelito Mendoza, also asked the SC to nullify the Sandiganbayan ruling denying his motion for bill of particulars for being issued with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack of, or in excess of jurisdiction.

Enrile also urged the SC to nullify the arraignment as well as the proceedings after that.

The Sandiganbayan earlier denied the motion, saying that the information they want should be better threshed out during the trial.

In his petition before the SC, Enrile said that “those particulars are material facts that should be clearly and definitely averred in the complaint in order that the defendant may, in fairness, be informed of the claims made against him to the end that he may be prepared to meet the issues at the trial.”

He said that the Sandiganbayan’s act of denying his motion for bill of particulars “is a denial of due process and a serious violation of petitioner’s constitutional right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him. This is certainly grave abuse of discretion.”

The petition said that with the Sandiganbayan’s denial, Enrile is left to guess his act of participation in the crime of plunder.

Enrile is one of the three senators accused of plunder in connection with the PDAF scam.

The Sandibayan has already suspended Enrile from office for a period of 90 days.