Former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The plunder trial of former senator Ramon Revilla Jr. may take two years at the most, even as the initial trial was canceled again on Thursday—the sixth time it was suspended.
The Sandiganbayan First Division Associate Justice Efren Dela Cruz canceled the scheduled hearing because a pending appeal of the defense.
Revilla’s lawyers are appealing the denial of their earlier motion to exclude evidence related to alleged bogus foundations and the ghost pork barrel projects in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.
READ: Revilla wants ghost projects excluded from plunder case
Revilla’s plunder trial was initially set for January 12 but was cancelled. It was reset and canceled again on Feb. 9, 23, March 30, April 20 and June 1.
READ: Delayed trial irks justices in Bong Revilla’s plunder case | ’Dilatory tactics’ have stalled plunder trial of 3 senators for 3 years
Dela Cruz said he was projecting that the trial could take “more than a year, less than two years” due to the provided settings allotted to the parties.
The prosecution was given 60 settings to present their evidence and the testimony of about 50 witnesses.
One setting pertains to a half day of court hearing. Revilla’s trial was allotted a whole day, or two settings per day.
Meanwhile, the defense was given a maximum of 50 settings, to be shared among Revilla, accused pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles, and Revilla’s alleged bagman former chief of staff Richard Cambe, to present their 69 witnesses.
With total settings of 110 for both prosecution and defense, the entire trial may take 55 trial dates. With one scheduled trial day per week, the trial would take over a year.
When Justice Dela Cruz asked the defense if the trial would take not more than two years, Revilla’s counsel Richard Keith Pioquinto gave a non-committal “hopefully,” followed by an awkward laughter from his fellow lawyers.
Thursday’s trial was reset and moved to June 22 and every Thursday thereafter.
Revilla, Napoles and Cambe were then summoned to attend the signing of the pre-trial order on June 15.
The actor-turned-politician is accused of pocketing P224.5 million in kickbacks from his PDAF coursed through ghost projects of Napoles, the alleged mastermind.
Revilla surrendered and has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center since 2014.
Also detained for plunder is Revilla’s colleague, former senator Jinggoy Estrada, who was denied bail while accused of pocketing P183.7-million kickbacks. Former senator Juan Ponce Enrile, now out on bail, is accused of receiving P172.8-million kickbacks.
Their plunder and graft charges were filed before the Sandiganbayan by the Office of the Special Prosecutor in June 2014. It was only this year when the plunder cases reached the trial stage. CBB/rga