Sandiganbayan denies Revilla’s furlough to attend Kuya Germs’ wake

Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Sandiganbayan on Tuesday denied the bid of Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. to attend the wake of the Master Showman German “Kuya Germs” Moreno.

In a resolution, the court said it found no special circumstance to grant Revilla’s motion for a five-hour furlough.

Moreno died last Friday due to cardiac arrest. He was 82.

“After weighing the arguments of the parties, the Court is of the view that the situation presented by the accused could not be considered a special circumstance that deserves exception to the general restrictions on a detention prisoner’s rights. Thus the motion is denied,” the court said.

During the First Division’s hearing on Revilla’s motion for furlough on Tuesday, prosecutor Jacinto Dela Cruz Jr. told the court the detained senator’s motion to attend the wake is not an extraordinary case, contrary to when the court allowed him to visit his son Jolo Revilla who was then in the hospital due to a gunshot wound in the chest.

READ: Sandiganbayan allows Bong Revilla to visit son Jolo

Dela Cruz added that Revilla’s bail had been denied already. Thus, his rights should be limited.

He added that a public wake like that of Moreno may expose Revilla to security risks.

In his motion, Revilla asked the court’s nod to leave his detention for five hours from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. to attend Moreno’s wake on Jan. 12 at Mt. Carmel Church, New Manila, Quezon City or on Jan. 13 at the GMA Network Center, Timog Avenue, Quezon City.

He said Moreno is a “mentor, close friend, and second father,” and a godparent in their marriage. Revilla and his wife Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado are celebirities in the movie and television industry.

Kuya Germs has been credited with developing and producing some of the country’s biggest stars through his former TV show “That’s Entertainment.’’ He was also host of the popular program ‘‘Walang Tulugan.’’

The court has yet to rule on Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s furlough. Estrada has asked the court’s nod for him as a movie actor to pay his final respects to Moreno.

READ: Revilla, Estrada bids to attend Kuya Germs’ wake opposed

Estrada and Revilla are detained for plunder at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center. Estrada is accused of receiving P183 million kickbacks from accused pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. Meanwhile, Revilla is accused of accumulating P242 million kickbacks. Both of them had been denied bail by the Sandiganbayan.

The pork barrel scam is an alleged scheme of using legislators’ Priority Development Assistance Funds in ghost projects to earn kickbacks. RAM