MANILA, Philippines – Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said yesterday that Malacañang welcomed reports that Atty. Jessica Lucile “Gigi” Reyes, the former chief of staff of Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, would surrender once the court issues an arrest warrant against her.
“Any action by the respondents that will make the process expedited in terms of their voluntary surrender will certainly be welcomed,” he said. “At least, it alleviates our security sector of the burden of trying to look for her and bringing her to the court,” he added
In the interview with reporters, Lacierda likewise said that the Palace cannot, as of yet, determine the weight of the testimony of Reyes, noting that it would depend on the defense tactic that she would employ.
“So we will leave it with her and her lawyers to decide how to defend herself,” he said.
Reyes is one of several personalities charged before the Sandiganbayan by the Office of the Ombudsman with plunder, relative to the pork barrel scam.
She stands accused of accepting commissions from agents of Janet Lim-Napoles, and is believed to be the only direct link between Enrile, who has also been charged, and the pork barrel controversy.
Earlier reports said that Reyes plans to surrender to authorities once the Sandiganbayan issues a warrant of arrest, ut bsources from her camp have also been quoted as saying that she has been “weighing her options’ since she returned in April from overseas.