Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The Sandiganbayan has denied a request of detained Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. to attend the last three days of session in the Senate.
In a resolution by the anti-graft First Division, the court denied the request for lack of merit, adding that the Supreme Court has ruled that detention prisoners cannot hold office or practice their profession while in detention.
“It is a matter of record that accused Revilla Jr. is a detention prisoner whose petition for bail had been denied. As such, he cannot discharge his office while in detention,” the court said.
Revilla asked the court to allow him to attend Senate session from June 6 to 8 “to complete the functions of his office, and be of continuous service to the people, whose overwhelming faith, trust and confidence elected him to said position.”
The court took cognizance of the defense panel’s opposition that Revilla as detention prisoner should not be allowed to practice his duties as senator.
“Indeed, the Court cannot consider the accused-movant’s prayer as a special circumstance which could be treated as an exception to the general restrictions on his rights as detention prisoner,” the court said.
Revilla has been detained since June 2014 for plunder for allegedly receiving P224.5 million in kickbacks from his Priority Development Assistance Funds through ghost projects implemented by accused “pork barrel scam” mastermind Janet Lim Napoles’ spurious foundations.
Revilla is detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center with co-accused Jinggoy Estrada, who has also been denied bail from plunder.