Juan Ponce Enrile, the veteran politician who now serves as the chief presidential legal counsel, has been acquitted of plunder charges in connection with the alleged misuse of his ₱172 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) during his time in the Senate.
The decision came from the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division on October 4, 2024, which granted Enrile’s motion for a demurrer to evidence — basically concluding that the prosecution’s case was too weak to proceed.
The court found that although the prosecution had produced various documents and witness statements, it failed to show that Enrile personally received money or kickbacks, or that the “fake NGO” scheme linked to his PDAF allocations met the legal threshold for plunder (which requires ill-gotten wealth of at least ₱50 million).
While this marks a major legal win for Enrile and co-accused Jessica “Gigi” Reyes and Janet Lim‑Napoles (who were also acquitted of plunder in this case), it’s important to note that 15 counts of graft related to the same PDAF allegations remain pending against them.