Revilla gets reprieve on arraignment

The Sandiganbayan Third Division on Friday rescheduled the arraignment of former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. in his malversation case tied to an alleged P92.8-million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan, due to several pending motions.

Third Division chairperson and Associate Justice Karl Miranda said the deferral is necessary since the respondents in the case still have pending motions questioning the merits of the malversation case filed against them.

“The arraignment is reset for 9 February at 8:30 in the morning,”

Miranda said.

During an arraignment, the accused enters a plea to the charge.

Earlier, Revilla filed an urgent motion for detention at the PNP custodial facility in Camp Crame in Quezon City, citing security concerns.

The court said it would check the situation at the jail facility in Payatas where Revilla and four of his co-accused are being held.

28 January deadline

Miranda gave prosecutors until 28 January to submit their comments on the omnibus motions filed by Revilla, and co-accused Emelita Juat and Jaypee Mendoza.

The court said it would also visit Camp Karingal, where Revilla’s two female co-accused are detained to check on their condition.

Miranda ordered the lawyers of the accused to file all their motions seeking remedies for their client by 26 January.

Revilla, who showed up for his arraignment wearing a yellow Persons Deprived of Liberty T-shirt, was joined by his family members, including his wife Lani and their children Brian and Jolo, among others.

The other co-accused in the case are DPWH Bulacan First District engineers Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Domasig, and Emelita Juat, finance section chief Juanito Mendoza and cashier Christina Pineda.

The anti-graft court issued a warrant of arrest on Monday for Revilla and his co-accused, who later in the day surrendered to the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group at Camp Crame.