The return of Gigi Reyes, former chief of staff and rumored paramour of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, may be the break the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee needs to finally connect the pork barrel projects to him and Senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jose Estrada.
The latest whistle-blower, socialite Ruby Tuason, earlier testified that Enrile would often fetch Reyes after a Senate session to pick up millions of pesos worth of kickbacks funneled by controversial “businesswoman” Janet Lim-Napoles.
Reyes, who was hinted at as one of Enrile’s conquests in a TV interview with his wife Cristina Ponce, supposedly acted as the bag person for the senator. The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee was all set to tap Reyes but she flew to the US before she could be questioned under oath.
We’ll see whether Sen. Miriam Santiago makes good on her promise to ask the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to subpoena Reyes but the former chief of staff, who suddenly returned over the weekend, said she was ready to face all charges against her, which may mean that she is counting on Enrile’s protection to escape prosecution.
This could happen unless the whole weight of the government is brought to bear on her and others who have intimate knowledge of the network of corruption sewn by Napoles, her minions and the officials who have benefited from the wholesale plunder of the country’s treasury.
Will Reyes accept an offer to turn state witness? If the Palace had any hand in her return as Santiago implied, it may quickly secure her safety and drop Napoles, who had been coddled long enough and failed to produce anything worthwhile for the government to build a case on.
This isn’t to say that Napoles’ value as witness has expired. On the contrary, if she and Reyes were pressured —within reason and within the bounds of the law—enough to spill the beans, then the charges against Enrile and company would be sufficient to merit multiple dates with the courts.
As it is, Santiago’s promise of a subpoena from the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee remains the only visible reminder (threat?) and invitation to Reyes to turn state witness and reveal everything she knows about Enrile’s alleged corruption in exchange for her freedom.
Reyes is highly intelligent and knows how to operate in the corridors of power. We can expect her to cut the best deal she can leverage.
Regardless, the public should never let up on pressuring her, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and others into finally revealing everything needed to unravel the pork barrel web of deceit and thievery.
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