Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. asked the Sandiganbayan on Monday to allow him a three-hour furlough to visit his son, Cavite vice governor Jolo Revilla, who is in the hospital due to a gunshot wound in the chest.
In an urgent motion, Revilla’s lawyers said the senator wanted to make sure that his son was safe and in stable condition.
“Revilla, himself shocked about this very unfortunate incident, feels helpless and distraught about this serious threat to the life of his son, Jolo,” the motion said.
“Revilla – as any father would feel – bears that it is his obligation to visit his son to ensure that he is already safe and in a stable medical condition and to spend a few minutes with him to provide support and assurance in this life-threatening situation,” it added.
Speculations were rife that Jolo tried to commit suicide on Saturday, Feb. 28, but Revilla’s lawyer Raymund Fortun said it was only an incident of accidental shooting while Jolo was cleaning his gun.
Jolo is under intensive care at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center.
Revilla is detained for plunder over the pork barrel scam allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim-Napoles.
Fellow senators’ backing
Meanwhile, senators backed Revilla’s appeal and urged the Sandiganbayan to grant his request.
“For humanitarian considerations, Sen. Bong Revilla should be allowed to visit his son Jolo who is in critical condition,” Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said in a text message to reporters.
Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, who was detained for rebellion during the Arroyo administration, also backed his colleague’s appeal.
“Pinapayagan naman ng korte ang mga ganyang sitwasyon,” (The court allows furloughs under similar situations) Trillanes said in a separate text message.
“Speaking as a father, of course I know what Sen. Revilla must be feeling now and I sympathize with that concern,” Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said in his own text message
While he also thinks that the detained senator should be allowed to visit his son, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said he would leave it to the court to decide the matter.
“I do hope though that the SC (Supreme Court) will come up with guidelines on the rights of a person under preventive detention (regarding visiting loved ones or having a checkup) so that it would apply TO ALL and not just a few,” said Escudero.
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