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We were wrong — the Sandiganbayan 1st Division said no to Sen. Bong Revilla this time. By contrast, the Sandiganbayan 5th Division had approved a similar request made by his friend, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. So, what gives?
READ: Bong asks Sandiganbayan to let him attend daughter’s graduation rites
“The Sandiganbayan denied on Friday, March 27, a request by detained Sen. Revilla to attend the graduation of his daughter at De La Salle Zobel in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City, which is set for Saturday, March 28,” reports Rhodina Villanueva in The Philippine Star.
In the two-page resolution, 1st Division chair Associate Justice Efren dela Cruz stated, “It should be stressed that accused Revilla and other accused are charged with the capital offense of plunder, and that because the court had found that the evidence of their guilt is strong, their petitions for bail were denied and that consequently, they continued to be held in detention. Being detention prisoners, just like all other detention prisoners, the accused cannot be allowed the full enjoyment of their rights, be it civil or political.”
The resolution also pointed out that “in a number of occasions in the past due to exceptional circumstances and for humanitarian considerations, the court had allowed Revilla to undergo medical check-ups and visit his ailing son in the hospital.”
The resolution likewise noted that “allowing Revilla to attend his daughter’s graduation ‘will not only set a bad precedent, but will likewise be regarded as a mockery of the administration of justice.'”
By contrast, as the report indicated, “earlier this month, the Sandiganbayan 5th Division, chaired by Associate Justice Roland Jurado, granted a request by Revilla’s co-accused, Sen. Estrada, to attend his son’s graduation.”
Jurado had explained that they “granted Estrada’s request not for the senator, but for the child.” He had stated, “If Estrada will not be around, that will be traumatic for the child. We are not doing this for Senator Estrada. We’re doing this for the child.”
Both Revilla and Estrada are detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.
Photo: News clip
