Estelito Mendoza. NOY MORCOSO / INQUIRER.net
The solicitor general of dictator Ferdinand Marcos is the newest lawyer of former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.
Former solicitor general Atty. Estelito Mendoza arrived on the first day of the trial of Revilla and presented himself as the newest addition to the embattled senator’s defense panel.
“I am privileged with my appearance in collaboration with the counsel on record for Revilla,” Mendoza told the justices. “I’m just one of the lawyers, and it’s my personal convenience,” he added.
Mendoza informed the justices of his hearing problem and his difficulty to wake up early to meet the 8:30 a.m. start of the hearings.
Division chair Associate Justice Efren Dela Cruz said the court set the hearings in the morning and afternoon to expedite Revilla’s trial.
Mendoza said the case could take forever with the prosecution’s plan to present 119 witnesses, 77 of whom are supposed beneficiaries of Revilla’s purported ghost pork barrel projects.
Witnesses include representatives from banks where Revilla allegedly kept bank accounts, lead prosecutor Joefferson Toribio said.
“There are so many witnesses. This will probably take forever,” Mendoza lamented.
The audience gasped at the number of witnesses and the size of the draft pre-trial order which totaled 830 pages.
The court said the trial could not proceed Thursday because the prosecution needed to correct its pre-trial brief.
Dressed in a jacket over a purple polo shirt, Revilla’s face hardened upon hearing the reasons for the delay, and the number of witnesses to be presented against him.
“I’m okay, pero mahaba-haba pa itong laban na ito. Prayers na lang (This fight will still take long. Prayers),” Revilla told reporters.
“I’m excited hoping na mapabilis, pero ang tingin ko tatagal pa,” Revilla added. (I’m excited hoping this will be expedited, but I think this will take long.)
Dressed in a gray jacket and a gold pendant, Bacoor Mayor Lani Mercado accompanied her husband to the hearing.
Mercado said they chose Mendoza for the latter’s record of winning cases.
“Nakakalungkot kasi na madaming witnesses na ipe-present. Mas lalong tatagal. Now that we have the collaboration of a new lawyer … sa tingin ko mas mapapabilis ang kaso na ito. Justice will be implemented for senator Bong,” Mercado said. (It’s sad because there are so many witnesses to be presented, which means this will take long. Now that we have the collaboration of a new lawyer .. I think we can expedite this case.)
Mercado said they had long been advised to hire Mendoza to help Revilla’s lawyer Ramon Esguerra.
“Marami nang nag-advise na kunin namin siya. At first he was giving advice, pero nung kinahinatnan, kinuha naming counsel. Kilala naman natin ang kalibre niya. I’m sure he could help us,” Mercado said. (Many have advised us to hire him. At first he was giving advices, but we hired him as counsel later on. We are aware of his caliber. I’m sure he could help us.)
Lead prosecutor Toribio said the panel was ready to take on Marcos’ solicitor general.
“They can bring in anybody. That is their right,” Toribio said.
Although he has been accused of fighting on the wrong side of history, Mendoza has several legal victories on his cap.
He defended and won the petition to dismiss the plunder case over a charity funds mess of former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo before the Supreme Court, which ruled that Arroyo’s approval of the P366 million fund releases from the intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office was only ministerial and did not constitute an “overt act” to commit plunder.
Mendoza also won the bail petition for former senator Juan Ponce Enrile before the Supreme Court, which allowed the 92-year-old senator to post bail and leave hospital detention for humanitarian reasons.
Mendoza has been known to defend controversial personalities, such as former presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada, who were also accused of corruption.
He served various positions during the Marcos regime – he was justice undersecretary from 1971 to 1972; solicitor general from 1972 to 1986; secretary of justice from 1984 to 1986; Pampanga governor from 1980 to 1986, and member of the National Assembly from 1978 to 1980, and from 1984 to 1985.
He defended the Marcoses in their ill-gotten wealth cases after the dictatorship was toppled by a people’s uprising.
Revilla and his co-accused, former chief of staff Richard Cambe, arrived on the first day of their trial on Thursday after the antigraft court Special First Division ordered the police to bring them to court.
It took over two years for the trial to begin for the embattled senator, who has been detained since 2014 at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center.
READ: Revilla, Estrada still believe ‘truth will come out’ to set them free
Revilla recently lost his petition before the Supreme Court, which sustained the finding of probable cause for plunder against him.
READ: SC junks Bong Revilla plea to dismiss 200M plunder case
In a 2015 interview with reporters, Revilla said he believed he was detained during the administration of then President Benigno Aquino III because of his presidential ambitions.
As early as 2013, Revilla’s party Lakas had been eyeing the former action star as its presidential bet in 2016.
“Aaminin natin ang plano ko tumakbo pagkapangulo. Sa tingin ko nga, isa yun sa dahilan bakit nandito ako sa kulungan,” Revilla then said. (I am admitting my plan to run for President. I think it is one of the reasons why I am detained.)
READ: Revilla says presidential ambition caused his detention for plunder
Revilla surrendered and was detained in 2014 after the charges were filed. He was also charged with 16 counts of graft.
He is accused of pocketing P224.5 million in kickbacks from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in the scam allegedly masterminded by trader Janet Lim-Napoles.
He was denied bail in 2014.
READ: Sandiganbayan denies bail pleas of Bong Revilla, Napoles, Cambe
Also detained for plunder is Revilla’s colleague, former senator Jinggoy Estrada, who was also denied bail after he was accused of pocketing P183.7-million in kickbacks. Enrile is accused of receiving P172.8-million in kickbacks.
Their plunder and graft charges were filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor in June 2014. CBB/rga
READ: Ombudsman files plunder raps vs Napoles, Enrile, Estrada, Revilla