THE Supreme Court has paved the way for Sandiganbayan to proceed with the trial of the P224-million plunder case against former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. in connection with the anomalous implementation of his Priority Development Assistance Fund.
This emerged after the SC on Tuesday denied with finality the bid of Revilla for the dismissal of the plunder complaint filed against him by the Office of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan.
In a resolution, the Court sustained its Dec. 6, 2016 decision upholding the findings of probable cause by the anti-graft body.
“The Court had ruled to dismiss the petitions for lack of merit, affirm the findings of probable cause and direct the Sandiganbayan, as the trial court to commence/continue all necessary proceedings with deliberate dispatch,” the SC ruled.
Revilla, in his petition, sought to nullify the findings of probable cause by the Ombudsman that led to the filing of charges against him.
The former lawmaker stressed Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales committed grave abuse of discretion in issuing the joint resolution dated March 28, 2014 that found probable cause to charge him with plunder.
He lamented his rights to due process had been violated when the Ombudsman denied his request that he be given copies of evidence against him so he could properly air his side.
“The Ombudsman violated Senator Revilla’s fundamental Constitutional rights to due process and to confront the accusations against him. Such rights are not mere rights ‘he believed in’ but are rights that are guaranteed in the Philippine Constitution,” Revilla said in his petition.
The former senator from Cavite also insisted the Ombudsman had no basis to charge him with plunder, citing the case of former president now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada where the anti-graft court held that to be held liable for the crime of plunder, it must be shown the public officer amassed ill-gotten wealth worth at least P50 million.
“Indeed, the assailed resolutions do not even have a proof that Senator Revilla has the qualifying amount of P50 million in his possession or in his bank account, much less proof that any money that is in his possession has been acquired unlawfully,” he said.
Thirteen Justices voted against his petition. Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. dissented while Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza took no part in the case.
The SC also dismissed with finality the motions for reconsideration filed by his co-accused Janet Lim Napoles, Mario Relampagos, Atty. Richard Cambe and John Raymund De Asis.
