Jolo Revilla goes home as police continue investigation of accidental shooting

MANILA, Philippines–Eight days after he reportedly shot himself accidentally in the chest while cleaning his gun, Cavite Vice Gov. Jolo Revilla has been discharged from the hospital and sent home to recover from his injury.

“The family decided to take him out of the hospital to speed up his recovery with the consent of his doctors,” lawyer Raymond Fortun, the family’s spokesman, said in a text message to the Inquirer on Monday.

He added that Revilla went to their family’s house in Ayala Alabang Village after he left the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City around 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

Fortun said that Revilla was taking a 30-day leave from work and after this period, he would return “barring any further complications [due to] his injuries.”

“The family is grateful to the Sandiganbayan for allowing Sen. Bong Revilla to visit Jolo. That visit lifted up Jolo’s spirits, which led to a marked improvement in his disposition that very night,” the lawyer added.

“The Revilla family thanks all those who visited Jolo at the hospital. They ask for further prayers for Jolo’s swift recovery and peace of mind,” Fortun said.

The senator went to the hospital to see his son for five hours on March 3 although the court prohibited him from giving interviews and ordered him to shoulder all the expenses in connection with his visit.

The younger Revilla was rushed to the hospital on Feb. 28 after he accidentally shot himself while was cleaning his gun, a .40-cal. Glock pistol.

He came down with a fever a day after, a condition doctors attributed to the collapse of parts of his lungs and a resulting infection when the bullet pierced the right portion of his chest.

In her Facebook account, Jolo’s mother, Rep. Lani Mercado, said her son had to undergo an operation on Saturday, the day before he was discharged, to remove the tube draining fluids from his chest. According to Mercado, the latest X-ray results showed an improvement in his lungs.

Fortun said that the gun used in the accidental shooting was turned over on March 4 to Muntinlupa police chief Senior Supt. Allan Nobleza as part of the investigation. The Muntinlupa police has asked the Revilla family to allow probers to inspect their house where the incident occurred although they have yet to receive a reply.

National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Carmelo Valmoria told the Inquirer on Monday that the composite team formed to look into the case was still conducting an investigation.