MANILA, Philippines —Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan was puzzled on how the Sandiganbayan came up with its decision to acquit former Senator Bong Revilla Jr. of plunder in relation with the multi-billion-peso pork barrel fund scam.
“Paano naging guilty ang nanuhol pero not guilty ang sinuhulan? Mahirap unawain ang naging pasya,” Pangilinan said in a statement on Friday.
“Ang pinababalik na P124 million ay makakapagpasweldo ng 248,000 na minimum wage earner sa isang araw,” he added.
On Friday morning, the Sandiganbayan found Revilla not guilty of plunder. Meanwhile, his co-accused, Janet Lim Napoles and lawyer Richard Cambe, were found guilty and were sentenced to reclusion perpetua.
The court also asked them to “solidarily” return P124 million to the government.
READ: Bong Revilla acquitted of plunder
Napoles has been described as the mastermind of the scam while Cambe was Revilla’s chief of staff.
Revilla has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City since 2014. He has been accused of amassing P224.5 million worth of ill-gotten wealth by channeling his Priority Development Assistant Fund (PDAF) to fake foundations linked to Napoles. /kga
READ: Full copy of Sandiganbayan ruling on Bong Revilla acquittal
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