Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla’s supporters. JULLIANE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – They came to the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court bearing messages of love and birthday wishes for their idol, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Thursday.
The 50 or so supporters went to court hoping to see a glimpse of Revilla who was released temporarily from his cell in Camp Crame to attend his petition for bail for a plunder case that was filed against him.
But Celia Oliver and Remedios Irea, both from Bacoor, Cavite, believe that the senator is innocent.
“Mapagmahal ‘yang si Senator pati pamilya niya. Naiinggit lang sila kasi maraming nagmamahal sa kanya. Naiinsecure lang sila,” Oliver told INQUIRER.net.
(Senator Revilla and his family are loving. His detractors are only envious of him. They’re just insecure.)
Irea, a Bacoor resident for about 50 years, said they have been waiting for the arrival of their “beloved senator” since 6 a.m.
She said they came to Sandiganbayan in vans, hoping they would get a glimpse of Revilla, who turned 48 years old.
Another supporter of Revilla, Elsie Diwata, said it was “unfair” of the government to detain him and two other senators –Juan Ponce Enrile and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada – for allegedly receiving kickbacks from authorizing the use of their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) by bogus non-government organizations.
“Napakarami din namang nakinabang dyan bakit sila Senator Bong lang ang kinulong? Pondo naman ‘yan na nagagamit sa magandang proyekto,” she lamented.
(There were others who also benefitted so why was Senator Bong the only one jailed? Those are funds that being used for good projects.)
Diwata also said that Bacoor has “improved a lot” since Revilla became the vice governor of Cavite.
“Sana naman Pangulong Aquino hayaan niyong magpiyansa si Senator Bong nang masilayan naman po namin siya,” Diwata said, who later led the crowd into singing a happy birthday song for the senator.
(Please President Aquino, let Senator Bong post bail so that we can see him.)
Revilla arrived at the Sandiganbayan with police escorts in a convoy around 8:30 a.m. He was not able get off the commuter van to interact with his fans but was allowed to roll down the car windows and wave to his supporters.
The Sandiganbayan First Division is currently hearing Revilla’s petition to post bail for plunder charges over his alleged involvement in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
He has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center since June with Estrada.
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