Senator Juan Ponce Enrile (centre), 90, who faces plunder and graft charges, is escorted out by security personnel after attending a court hearing at the Sandiganbayan court in Quezon city, east of Manila yesterday.
DPA
A veteran Philippine lawmaker was arraigned yesterday on corruption charges for allegedly receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks from a congressional development fund.
Senator Juan Ponce Enrile declined to enter a plea for plunder, a non-bailable offence punishable by life imprisonment.
The Sandiganbayan anti-graft court recorded a not guilty plea for him. Defence lawyer Estelito Mendoza questioned the court’s jurisdiction over the case.
The 90-year-old former defence minister surrendered to police last week after the court ordered his arrest. He was the third senator to be detained for plunder charges in relation to a scam that misused at least 10bn pesos ($232mn) of a
congressional fund.
The scandal triggered public outrage and street protests last year.
The cases have become a test case for President Benigno Aquino’s promises to tackle corruption.
Senators Ramon Revilla and Jose Estrada have been detained at the national police headquarters in Manila since they surrendered separately about three weeks ago.
They have also been arraigned and refused to enter pleas.