MALACAÑANG has revealed President Rodrigo Duterte had a "brief and cordial" dialogue with former senator Juan Ponce Enrile in the Palace.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in a text message sent to reporters said Thursday that Enrile merely paid a friendly visit on Duterte last Wednesday, March 1.
"[Duterte's] meeting with Enrile was a social call. The senator gave books to the President and discussed current developments in the country," Abella said.
"It was a brief and cordial meeting capped by a photo opportunity," he added.
The presidential spokesperson, however, failed to mention what "current developments in the country" had been discussed during the meeting.
Abella said Duterte and Enrile have been friends even when the President was still mayor of Davao City.
Duterte's meeting with Enrile came two weeks after Solicitor General Jose Calida moved to acquit alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Napoles in her serious illegal detention case.
Napoles was accused of illegally detaining her second cousin Benhur Luy, a state witness in the plunder case filed against her.
Enrile is among the three senators who are facing plunder and graft charges in connection with their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.
Enrile reportedly received kickbacks amounting to P172 million from his Priority Development Assistant Fund, or the so-called pork barrel.
The former senator spent more than a year under hospital arrest but had been granted temporary freedom in 2015 due to his age and health condition. (VoxPop Philippines)
