Bong Revilla says father’s surgery a success

Sen. Bong Revilla. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. on Thursday said his father is now recovering after a successful heart operation.

Revilla shared the good news on his namesake after his scheduled hearing for plunder at the Sandiganbayan on the pork barrel scam.

Revilla said he  visited his father at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig on Wednesday to accompany him during the operation.

His trial scheduled for Thursday was reset to Feb. 23, due to the pendency of his motion to quash the plunder information and the clarifications needed on the draft pre-trial order.

READ: Revilla’s ‘pork’ rap simple bribery, not plunder–ex-solgen

He is set to visit his father again on Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., with permission from the court.

“Stable na siya. Nasa intensive care unit pa rin. Pero he’s okay. Maraming salamat sa lahat ng mga nanalangin,” Revilla said.

(He’s stable. He’s still at the intensive care unit. But he’s okay. Thanks to everyone who prayed for him.)

Revilla said his father  underwent heart operation to replace a valve in the main artery.

“Operation niya kahapon, successul naman. Main artery ng puso, yun ang pinalitan ng valve (His operation yesterday was a success. A valve was replaced in the main artery in the heart). At least he’s okay,” Revilla said.

In his motion for furlough filed before the court, Revilla said his father Ramon Revilla Sr. had been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis and had to undergo trans-arterial aortic valve replacement.

READ: Court grants Bong Revilla’s furlough to be at father’s surgery

Revilla said he felt it his obligation to be at his father’s side to provide  support.

According to him, his father requested that he be at his side during the surgery.

“Deeply worried and concerned about this recent unfortunate development, Senator Revilla again respectfully implores this Honorable Court’s kind consideration and compassion that he be allowed to visit, and be with his ailing and weak father while he is undergoing this major surgery,” Revilla said through his lawyers.

In the past, the court granted Revilla’s request to visit his father, who is at the intensive care unit of St. Luke’s in Bonifacio Global City.

READ: Revilla seeks furlough to visit ailing father | Bong Revilla visits ailing father at Taguig hospital 

Revilla told the court that his father was again rushed to the hospital on Jan. 20 due to coronary heart disease.

Revilla Sr. was in and out of the hospital from Jan. 26 to 31.

Earlier, Revilla’s father was hospitalized due to severe sepsis secondary to pneumonia.

The elder Revilla is known for his role in the movies like “Nardong Putik,” while Revilla Jr. took on another prominent movie role as the “Panday.”

It took two years for the embattled senator to face his charges in trial.

Revilla surrendered and was detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in 2014 as he stood trial for plunder.

He is accused of pocketing P224.5 million in kickbacks from his Priority Development Assistance Fund in the scheme of using the pork barrel fund for ghost projects by mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

READ: Ahead of trial, Bong Revilla seeks to quash plunder rap 

Also detained for plunder is Revilla’s colleague, former senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, who was denied bail while accused of pocketing P183.7 million in kickbacks. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, now out on bail, was accused of receiving P172.8 million in kickbacks.

Their plunder and graft charges were filed with the Sandiganbayan by the Office of the Special Prosecutor in June 2014.  RAM/rga