THE Sandiganbayan’s First Division on Thursday granted the petition of former Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. to defer the scheduled graft trial of the former senator next month.
The anti-graft court’s division, headed by Associate Justice Efren dela Cruz, approved the motion filed by Revilla’s counsel, lawyer Reody Anthony Balisi.
This, after the prosecution posed no objetion to the plea of the defense panel for the postponement of the resumption the hearing on Revilla’s graft case set for Dec. 6, or a day before the court renders its judgment on the plunder case.
“The hearing on Dec. 6, as prayed for by Atty. Balisi is hereby canceled,” Dela Cruz said, rescheduling the next graft trial of Revilla on Jan. 10, 2019.
Last September, the First Division ended the trial of the plunder case against Revilla after the prosecution and the defense submitted the case for resolution –about four years after the case was filed against the former movie star.
Revilla, who is eyeing a comeback in the Senate, was accused of pocketing P224.5 million worth of commissions from pork barrel funds under his control while in the Senate.
Earlier, pork barrel scam whistle-blower Marlina Sula withdrew her statement that Revilla signed the endorsement letters for the utilization of his pork barrel funds.
Upon direct examination of Revilla’s lawyer Reody Anthony Balisi, Sula, who was presented by the defense panel as its hostile witness, earlier revealed that the prosecution asked her to affirm the statements of pork barrel scam star witness Benhur Luy.
Sula claimed then she saw that Luy allegedly forged at least three letters.
She also denied that she met Revilla during her stint as employee of the JLN Corp. of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.
However, Sula admitted giving various supporting documents to Revilla regarding the bogus foundation Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc.
Revilla then said he felt vindicated by Sula’s statement, adding he was “targeted,” without naming names.