Lawyer Jessica Lucila "Gigi" Reyes, who was tagged in the multi-billion peso pork barrel fund controversy, was released from her detention facility, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) confirmed on Thursday, Jan. 19,
In an advisory, the BJMP said Reyes was released from the Taguig City Jail Female Dormitory at around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
"She was released by virtue of Petition for Habeas Corpus granted in resolution dated 17 January 2023 by the First Division, Supreme Court of the Philippines," the advisory read.
Reyes, former chief of staff of then Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, has been under the BJMP custody since July 2014 based on the commitment order by the Sandiganbayan for a case of plunder wherein the two were named as among the respondents.
Her lawyers filed a petition for Habeas Corpus, citing the alleged deprivation of liberty and delay in trial of the plunder case leveled against her in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.
The pork barrel scam, which was exposed during the time of former president Noynoy Aquino, involved the alleged funneling of congressional fund to bogus non-government organizations wherein lawmakers would then received multi-million peso kickbacks.
The name Janet Lim Napoles became a byword for the pork barrel scam.
Several lawmakers were charged in connection with the scheme.