Enrile’s deputy chief of staff posts bail

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Ahead of an arrest warrant, Jose Antonio Evangelista, deputy chief of staff for political affairs of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, posted bail on Wednesday, July 2.

To secure temporary liberty, Evangelista went to the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan to submit to its jurisdiction.

Evangelista had previously been identified in a Senate hearing to have signed letters on Enrile’s behalf, to endorse NGOs linked to businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles. 

Evangelista wasn’t included in the plunder complaint submitted by the Department of Justice to the Office of the Ombudsman. But the Ombudsman found him to have violated Section 3(E) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

By late afternoon of Wednesday, July 2, a signed release order was issued by the anti-graft court. The order was submitted for signing by Presiding Justice and 3rd division chair Amparo Cabotaje-Tang.

The order says that Evangelista must be released “unless held or detained for other cause.” – Rappler.com