Ruby Tuason, Gigi Reyes seek relief from plunder raps

MANILA, Philippines — "Provisional" state witness Ruby Tuason and Senator Juan Ponce Enrile's former chief of staff Jessica "Gigi" Reyes sought relief from plunder charges in connection with the "pork barrel" scam.

The two plunder respondents filed motions for reconsideration before the Office of the Ombudsman on Monday contesting their indictment as alleged co-conspirators in the misuse of billions in Priority Development Assistance Funds through fraudulent non-government organizations.

Tuason's legal counsel Dennis Manalo, who filed the plea on her behalf, said in a radio report that the motion cites her application to become state witness and therefore immune to charges.

Tuason, currently abroad supposedly to raise funds to return kickbacks she earned from the scam, also asked the anti-graft body to urgently decide on her plea to become witness as she is not the "most guilty" of  plunder.

She returned to Manila from San Francisco inFebruary to submit her sworn affidavit to the Department of Justice. She claimed to have introduced Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Reyes to businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, who believed to be the scam mastermind.

Reyes' motion for reconsideration, meanwhile, was filed by a messenger. Reyes, a lawyer, is also believed to have left the country before the plunder case was filed last September where she is among the respondents.

Tuason claimed that Reyes would receive kickbacks from Enrile's PDAF allocation but did not confirm whether the senator is aware of the transactions.