Senator Teofisto Guingona III, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, poses questions to Janet Lim-Napoles, alleged pork barrel scam mastermind during the hearing on Thursday (Nov. 7, 2013) at the Senate building in Pasay City. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes is asking the Sandiganbayan to direct the Office of the Special Prosecutor to submit the sequential list of the prosecution witnesses on or before the end of November.
Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, along with Janet Lim-Napoles, Ronald John Lim and John Raymund de Asis, will be tried before the Sandiganbayan Third Division thrice a week starting January 13, 2016 for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.
In a motion submitted to the Sandiganbayan dated November 17, 2015, Reyes asked the anti-graft court to direct the prosecution to submit the List of Intended Witnesses to “enable parties to prepare for the continuous trial of the case.”
The court initially directed the prosecution to submit their list of witnesses by the end of the year.
But with only less than two months to prepare, Reyes argued that their party would need the list at an earlier date. This, as the motion stated, will give them enough time to prepare for the presentation and cross-examination of witnesses, and to review voluminous documents involved in the case.
“Preferably at the end of November- this to enable the parties moreso, of accused Reyes, to make use of the time between now until the start of trial on 13 January 2016 to prepare and arrange the exhibits and the questions to be propounded upon each witness,” read the motion.
The motion will be heard on Monday, November 23 at 1:30 pm.
Aside from the whistleblowers, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, Commissioner Kim Henares and representatives from COA, Department of Justice, Department of Agriculture and Anti-Money Laundering Council are among the list of the persons who will be invited to testify for the prosecution panel.
Meanwhile, the proceedings against Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, with respect to the case, is temporarily suspended pending the Supreme Court’s final ruling on his petition for Bill of Particulars. (MNS)