Sandiganbayan denies Revilla’s second bid to inhibit justice

The Sandiganbayan Third Division has denied former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.’s renewed bid to remove Associate Justice Karl Miranda from his malversation case, ruling that allegations of bias were not enough to warrant inhibition.

In a 24 September resolution, the court found Revilla’s second motion for inhibition “without merit” and ordered Miranda to continue hearing the case.

“The court reiterated that there is no ground for mandatory inhibition of Justice Miranda,” the resolution read. “The court found that Revilla failed to demonstrate any arbitrary act or conduct that would warrant the recusal of Justice Miranda from participating in this case.”

Revilla’s camp argued that Miranda had already prejudged the case based on statements in his dissenting opinion on the former senator’s bail petition.

Miranda was the lone justice who voted against granting Revilla bail in the malversation case involving an alleged P92.8-million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan. The two other members of the division voted to grant bail after finding that prosecutors failed to establish that the evidence of guilt against Revilla was strong.

Revilla posted a P1-million cash bond on 31 July and was released from the Quezon City Jail later that day.

In rejecting the second inhibition bid, the court said a dissenting opinion merely reflected a difference in judicial interpretation and assessment of the evidence.

“In other words, adverse rulings, without more, do not prove bias or partiality warranting inhibition,” the resolution stated.

The court said that absent sufficient grounds for recusal or Miranda’s voluntary inhibition, the justice should be allowed to continue performing his judicial duties.

The Third Division had also rejected Revilla’s first motion seeking Miranda’s inhibition in February, saying there was no concrete proof of personal interest or bias.

Revilla is facing malversation through falsification of public documents over the alleged flood control project in Pandi.