De Lima on Revilla’s 2016 run: Up to his delicadeza

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday agreed that embattled Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr can still run in the 2016 elections despite being charged with plunder and graft over the P10-billion pork barrel fund scam.

De Lima, however, reminded the lawmaker about one's sense of propriety or “delicadeza”.

Revilla is one of three senators charged with plunder and graft in connection with the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.

"Strictly speaking, walang legal impedment sa ganiyan. The matter is actually addressed to his sense of delicadeza," De Lima told reporters.

"The decision whether or not to run in spite of these big cases filed against him is actually addressed to his sense of personal delicadeza and sense of utmost responsibility towards upholding national interest," she added.

De Lima, a former election lawyer, said that as long as Revilla has not yet been convicted by the Sandiganbayan or disqualified by the Commission on Elections, the lawmaker can still seek a public post in 2016.

She said the Comelec can only hand down a disqualification if he gets convicted in the criminal cases.

Over the weekend, Revilla, in a move reminiscent of the campaign trail, went around Cavite to thank his supporters.

Revilla has been around certain communities in Metro Manila to personally thank his supporters, who he said have given him strength to face the trials he is undergoing after being implicated in the pork barrel scam.

Revilla has neither confirmed nor denied whether he has plans to run as the standard bearer for Lakas-CMD in the 2016 presidential elections. Revilla is the chair of the former ruling party. —NB, GMA News