Religious groups staged a prayer rally in front of the Sandiganbayan on Wednesday, August 26, calling for former Senator Revilla’s return to jail following the granted 1M temporary bail by the anti-graft court in the former public official's malversation case.
Photographed by Sean Magbanua for the Daily Tribune
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Several religious groups held a prayer rally outside the Sandiganbayan on Wednesday, calling for former Senator Bong Revilla’s return to jail following the anti-graft court’s decision to grant him provisional bail in his malversation case.
“Kami po ay nalulungkot dahil ang non-bailable offense ay biglang naging bailable for P1 million,” a religious leader said during the rally.
(We are saddened because a non-bailable offense suddenly became bailable for P1 million.)
The religious leader also expressed concern over what they described as the public’s declining trust in the country’s courts, including the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and particularly, Sandiganbayan.
"Hindi pa naman convicted talaga si Bong Revilla, pero yung ang kanyang offense is bailable,” the church leader pointed out.
(The former Senator Bong Revilla has not yet been convicted, but his offense is bailable.)
The Sandiganbayan Third Division recently granted Revilla temporary bail in his malversation case, allowing his provisional release after he posted a P1-million cash bond.
The case involves the alleged anomalous P92.8-million flood control project in Barangay Bunsuran, Pandi, Bulacan, which implicated Revilla and six other accused.
On 31 July, the Sandiganbayan Third Division granted Revilla’s petition and set bail at P1 million, with his provisional release ordered upon the posting of the cash bond.
Ombudsman asks Moreno to inhibit from case
The Office of the Ombudsman, meanwhile, has filed a motion for Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Ronald Moreno’s inhibition from the P92.8-million malversation case against former senator Bong Revilla and six others.
Moreno and Associate Justice Fritz Delos Santos voted to grant Revilla’s petition for bail, allowing the former senator to post ₱1 million in its malversation case, which is ordinarily non-bailable when the evidence of guilt is strong.
Following the bail hearing, the Ombudsman prosecutors particularly questioned how Moreno allegedly treated state witnesses Henry Alcantara and former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.
The Sandiganbayan, however, will determine whether to grant the Ombudsman’s motion seeking Moreno’s inhibition from the case.
