Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — The Ombudsman said it will no longer appeal Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.’s acquittal from the graft cases in relation to the multi-billion peso pork barrel scam.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ombudsman said it respected the recent decision of Sandiganbayan First Division, which voted 3-2, to acquit Revilla of 16 counts of graft on the ground of “insufficiency of evidence.”
“The Office of the Ombudsman has rested its case against Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. The SB First Division voted 3-2 to grant Senator Revilla’s Demurrer to Evidence, and we respect its decision,” it said.
“Consistent with the defendant’s constitutional right against double jeopardy, Ombudsman Samuel Martires sets the policy of no longer challenging the dismissal of cases/quashal of information and judgments of acquittal, either through a motion to dismiss, a demurrer to evidence or by a decision, rendered by the trial courts or the Sandiganbayan except when the People was clearly deprived of due process or there was mistrial,” it added.
The Office of the Ombudsman. (File photo by NINO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The Ombudsman explained: “A demurrer to evidence is a motion to dismiss on the ground of insufficiency of evidence.”
“The grant of the court of the demurrer is tantamount to an acquittal because the defendant is cleared of the criminal case and is no longer required to present his evidence,” it said.
In 2018, Revilla was cleared of plunder over the same case.
He was one of the three senators charged with graft and plunder in 2014 for allegedly diverting millions of pesos in pork barrel to bogus non-governmental organizations operated by Janet Lim Napoles.