Bong Revilla acquitted of plunder-Sandiganbayan
Credit to Author: mfrialde| Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2018 01:48:16 +0000
MANILA, Philippines — Former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla has been acquitted by the Sandiganbayan from plunder cases in relation to the “Pork Barrel Scam.”
Meanwhile, Revilla’s two accused in the case, Janet Lim-Napoles and lawyer Richard Cambe were convicted of plunder, according to the decision by the Sandiganbayan.
During the promulgation on Friday, the Sandiganbayan First Division said Revilla is not guilty of misusing public funds.
He was accused of allocating P224 million from his ‘pork barrel’, or the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to bogus non-government organizations created by alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.
This is the first pork barrel scam case to be decided by the Sandiganbayan.
It has been four years since the Office of the Ombudsman filed the case against Revilla and co-accused former Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada.
All three were detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame. Only Enrile and Estrada were allowed by the Sandiganbayan to post bail.
Enrile cited old age, while the anti-graft court said Estrada did not appear to be the main plunderer. /muf