Lani Mercado’s birthday wish for Sen. Revilla: Granting of petition for bail
Cavite Representative Lani Mercado. Ryan Leagogo/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. will hold a small celebration for his 48th birthday today, Thursday, his wife said.
Cavite Representative Lani Mercado Revilla added that her wish for her husband was temporary freedom as he faced plunder and graft charges over the pork barrel scam.
“This is the first time Revilla is celebrating in the Custodial Center. Nakalagpas tatlong buwan na si Senator sa Crame,” Mercado-Revilla said in an ambush interview at the Sandiganbayan, where she and her husband attended Revilla’s bail hearing for plunder, a non-bailable offense.
“(I wish for his) petition for bail. We’re close to the last three witnesses already. I hope makapagdesisyon sila nang tama, na pabor sa amin,” the Revilla matriarch added.
Representative Mercado-Revilla said their family would celebrate at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center, where Revilla is detained, during the allowed visiting hours from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
She said it would be a small celebration to be attended by family members who would like to visit.
Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada also celebrated at the custodial center his wedding anniversary. Television footage showed roasted pigs being brought to the center.
“Konting handa lang. The family will always be there. May ilang family members na nagpadala ng mensahe na dadalaw today,” Mercado-Revilla said.
“Kawawa naman. Hindi na nga namin nakakapiling, ipagkakait pa namin,” she added.
(It’s a pity. He is not with us and there’s even a chance that his petition will be denied.)
For his part, Senator Revilla said it was enough for him to just catch up with friends whom he hasn’t seen in a long time and yearned for those times he went out with them.
“Kung sino ang makaalala at makadalaw sa akin, may makamayan, masaya na ako. Namimiss ko lang mga dati kong kaibigan,” Revilla said.
Revilla faces plunder and graft charges for his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam, the purported diversion of senators’ Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) to ghost projects for kickbacks.
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