Ahead of arrest, Revilla sets privilege speech

MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) – While his lawyers are exhausting legal means to stop his arrest, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr will again try to prove his innocence in the court of public opinion.

The senator accused of getting the most kickbacks in the pork barrel scam will deliver a privilege speech on Monday, June 9, after the Ombudsman denied his appeal to stop the filing of a plunder case, and filed plunder charges against him. 

Amy Manzo, Revilla’s media relations officer, said that the senator will make a “revelation” in his privilege speech.

The actor-turned-politician has long announced that he will again take the podium after blasting President Benigno Aquino III for “crooked justice” in a dramatic speech last January. Using a toy truck as prop, he belittled the evidence against him, and called the case a zarzuela (show) to destroy the opposition in the lead-up to the 2016 polls.

Joel Bodegon, Revilla’s lawyer, said that the senator will file on Monday a motion for judicial determination of probable cause before the Sandiganbayan. Bodegon said the motion was supposed to be filed Friday but Revilla’s lawyers did not meet the cut-off of the court. 

Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada might also file a similar motion. 

“After the case is raffled and we know the division, we can file a judicial determination of probable cause,” Estrada’s lawyer, Alexis Abastillas, told Rappler. 

Bodegon also said that Revilla might again go to the Supreme Court and file a petition for certiorari and prohibition against the Ombudsman. Bodegon cited a previous petition Revilla raised before the high court to stop proceedings in the anti-graft body.

“If you can recall, the SC acted and asked the Ombudsman to comment within 10 days. Instead of respecting the Court’s order, it immediately released the resolution denying our motion for reconsideration. They are preempting the Supreme Court like what they did with our first petition,” Bodegon said in an interview on GMA TV on Friday, June 6.

Bodegon said that when Revilla asked the high court to hold oral arguments, the Ombudsman was quick to release its resolution finding probable cause to charge his client for plunder.

Revilla, Estrada and Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile face plunder charges for repeatedly endorsing the dummy non-governmental organizations of alleged mastermind Janet Lim Napoles. They supposedly pocketed kickbacks in return.

The Ombudsman said Revilla got the most kickbacks worth P242 million, followed by Enrile with P183 million, and Estrada with P172 million. – Rappler.com