‘Revilla to go through legal process despite bail promise’
Former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. is willing to go through the legal process despite the campaign promise of President Rodrigo Duterte to release him from his plunder case over the pork barrel scam, his wife said on Thursday.
Bacoor Mayor Lani Mercado accompanied her husband Revilla in his plunder hearing which started on Thursday at the Sandiganbayan.
Dressed in a gray jacket and wearing a gold pendant, Mercado told reporters after the hearing that her husband had been advised by Duterte to go through the legal process.
READ: SC poised to decide on Revilla bail, a Duterte campaign promise
“Binanggit niya sa amin a few years ago, during his visit nung nangangampaniya siya,” Mercado said when asked about Duterte’s campaign promise to release Revilla from detention.
(He did mention that to us, a few years ago, during his visit when he was campaigning.)
“Naniniwala ako sa sinabi niya na we have to pass through the process of law,” Mercado said.
(I believe in what he said that we have to pass through the process of law.)
During the campaign in Bacoor, Cavite, the Revillas’ bailiwick, Duterte was asked if he would be fair to Revilla, who is detained for plunder for the pork barrel scam.
Duterte then said: “Ako, you can be very sure, lalabas ‘yan, lalabas ‘yan sa [he will leave] prison. I cannot guarantee na yung kaso, ma-e-erase, erase sa korte, pero [that the case will be erased at the courts but] I will see to it that they are also afforded the right to bail.”
Duterte’s campaign promise then was “Lalabas yan (He will be released).”
The presidential candidate who won the 2016 elections later clarified that what he meant was Revilla should enjoy the right to bail if the evidence was weak.
In 2014, the Sandiganbayan First Division denied Revilla’s petition for bail due to strong evidence of guilt.
READ: Sandiganbayan denies bail pleas of Bong Revilla, Napoles, Cambe
Mercado said Cavite was chosen for the launch of the grassroots movement “Kilusang Pagbabago,” organized by Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco and touted as the “vanguard” of the Duterte administration to deliver services to the masses.
Kilusang Pagbabago was believed to be planned to replace the PDP-Laban. It was organized to consolidate Duterte’s supporters not only to deliver basic services, but also to protect the administration from destabilization.
READ: Evasco: Groups displaced by Duterte may plan coup
“We were asked to host it. Sino ba namang tatanggi kay Cabinet Secretary. We are happy, elated, na kami ang napili ng location ng padiriwang at launching ngayon,” Mercado said.
(We were asked to host it. Who could refuse the Cabinet Secretary. We are happy, elated, that Cavite was chosen as the location for the celebration and launching today.)
“Kaya nilunsad ang Kilusang Pagbabago sa amin, kasi gustong ibaba diretso ng pamahalaan ang tulong na gusto nilang ipamahagi sa tao,” Mercado added.
(Kilusang Pagbabago was launched in our city because the government wants services to trickle down directly to the people.)
Mercado was also asked about the meeting of the mayors yesterday at Malacañang with Duterte, who reportedly threatened to kill mayors who are part of his supposed “narco-list” of drug coddlers.
Mercado said Duterte merely “reiterated” his appeal to mayors to help him in waging his bloody war on drugs that has claimed over 6,000 lives already.
“Ni-reiterate yung tulong na gustong hingiin sa mga mayors, laban sa pinagbabawal na gamot. He wants us to assist him, yun ang buod ng mga sinabi niya kahapon,” Mercado said.
(He reiterated his appeal for help from mayors in his fight against illegal drugs. He wants us to assist him, that was the gist of what he said yesterday.)
READ: Duterte tells mayors: Repent, resign or die
Revilla’s plunder trial was cancelled Thursday and reset to Feb. 9 due to necessary corrections in the pre-trial brief of the prosecution.
The prosecution said a total of 119 witnesses will be presented against Revilla, including 77 so-called beneficiaries of Revilla’s alleged ghost pork barrel projects.
READ: Bong Revilla’s plunder trial reset to February
Atty. Estelito Mendoza, the solicitor general of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is the newest addition in Revilla’s defense panel.
Mendoza, who argued the bail petition of former senator Juan Ponce Enrile in the pork barrel scam and led the dismissal of the plunder case against former President Gloria Arroyo before the Supreme Court, will collaborate with Revilla’s lawyers in defending his case.
READ: Marcos solgen is Bong Revilla’s new lawyer
Revilla and his co-accused former chief of staff Richard Cambe arrived on the first day of their trial on Thursday after the anti-graft court Special First Division issued the produce order for the police to bring the two 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 for plunder during the administration of then President Benigno Aquino III because of the actor’s 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 was detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in 2014 after charges were filed against him. 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 and accused of pocketing P183.7-million kickbacks. Enrile, who was allowed to post bail by the Supreme Court due to humanitarian considerations, is accused of receiving P172.8-million kickbacks. CDG/rga
