MANILA, Philippies–State prosecutors want the Philippine National Police to come clean regarding the out-of-prison caper of Sen. Bong Revilla who was able to leave his cell and attend the birthday party of fellow detained lawmaker, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, on Feb. 14.
In an eight-page manifestation, prosecutors from the Office of the Ombudsman asked the Sandiganbayan to direct Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, PNP officer in charge, and five other police officers to submit a “full and accurate” report on Revilla’s “prison break.”
The prosecution also petitioned the antigraft court’s First Division to impose a penalty on the police officers assigned to watch over the senator, who is detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, the PNP headquarters in Quezon City, on graft and plunder charges over the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
“Revilla, being in custody for the duration of his plunder trial, should not be allowed to flout the orders and directives of this honorable court regarding his movement, transfer or relocation,” the prosecution said in a motion it filed on Friday.
It said the “blatant violation” of the court’s order was proof the senator should be sent at once to a regular jail managed by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City.
“(The incident) all but validates the prosecution’s position that accused Revilla’s detention at the PNP Custodial Center is improper,” the prosecution said.
Special treatment
“Aside from the fact that such constitutes ‘special treatment’ not accorded to ordinary detainees, the PNP Custodial Center is not administered and staffed by jail officers who have been trained in the proper handling of persons detained during trial,” it said.
The prosecutors said the senator was “able to exploit and take advantage of the unfamiliarity of his police custodians with protocols on the treatment of detainees.”
Along with his close friend and fellow opposition lawmaker, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Revilla has been held at the police detention facility since both were ordered arrested in June 2014 for the alleged misuse of their Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel.
200 meters from cell
Enrile, because of the state of his health and his advanced age, had been placed under hospital arrest for the same offense at the PNP General Hospital, which is about 200 meters from the police prison compound inside Crame.
Besides Espina, asked to submit a report were PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr., Supt. Eulogio Lovello Fabro of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and Raymond Santos, chief of the camp hospital’s emergency unit.
Also asked to explain were Chief Supt. Alberto Supapo, the sacked head of the PNP Headquarters Support Service and his subordinate, Senior Insp. Celina Tapaoan, who was also relieved from her post.
If the PNP officials fail to offer an explanation, the prosecution said Revilla’s illegal trip from prison “should cast sufficient doubt on the wisdom of continuing to detain” the senator at Camp Crame.
“Revilla is guarded by police officers (not jail officers) and enjoys the status of a high profile detainee. As his unauthorized partying with Senator Enrile will show, accused Revilla has the propensity to continue banking on his VIP status as a senator to reap unwarranted benefits and privileges even while in detention,” the prosecution said.
Revilla has denied visiting Enrile during the latter’s 91st birthday celebration at the police hospital, claiming he was rushed by his police custodians to the hospital after his blood pressure suddenly shot up.
Two pictures
But the prosecution presented to the court two pictures showing Revilla seated around a table with Enrile and other guests at the gathering. Also, there were Revilla’s sons, Cavite Vice Gov. Jolo Revilla and actor Bryan Revilla.
Cerbo, in a press briefing, absolved the senator, saying Revilla only “accidentally met” Enrile.
Santos himself, however, denied that Revilla was brought to the police hospital’s emergency room and that he was actually brought directly to the specialty ward where Enrile was hosting a party.
Santos said Estrada was taken to the same ward hours before Revilla.