Sandiganbayan ends Bong Revilla plunder trial for pork barrel scam

The Sandiganbayan on Thursday wrapped up the plunder trial of detained former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., who will be the first lawmaker either acquitted or convicted over his alleged role in the pork barrel scam more than four years after his indictment.

During the proceedings at the First Division, the prosecution informed the anti-graft court that it was resting its case against Revilla following the presentation of whistle-blower Benhur Luy, and Ombudsman records division personnel Clarita Tanggol and Maria Veronica Alvaran as rebuttal witnesses.

The testimonies of Luy, Tanggol, and Alvaran focused on refuting the testimony of whistle-blower Marina Sula, who deviated from her earlier statement and said she was coached by state prosecutors to implicate Revilla.

It would be recalled that Sula named former prosecutor and now Tarlac City Judge Joefferson Toribio as the one who told her to corroborate the testimony of Luy.

Assistant Special Prosecutor Mariter Delfin-Santos, however, said the prosecution would no longer present Torribio to the witness stand.

“Upon our consultation with Special Prosecutor (Edilberto) Sandoval and Ombudsman (Samuel) Martires, it was decided not to present him anymore because he cannot testify about the fact who signed the endorsement letters. Besides that, he already vehemently denied to us the statement by Marina Sula,” Santos told reporters.

Before the case officially ended, lead defense counsel Estelito Mendoza cross examined Luy on whether he saw Revilla sign any endorsement letter that allows the bogus foundations of alleged scheme mastermind Janet Lim Napoles to claim their shares of Revilla’s Priority Development Assistance Funds, or pork barrel.

Luy said he never did.

Santos said this did not mean the former lawmaker was innocent.

Santos said the Special Allotment and Release Orders (SARO) of Revilla could not be processed if it lacked the supporting documents he signed himself.

“As explained and testified by Benhur Luy, the SAROs cannot be released without the endorsement letters and the project listing which he (Revilla) himself signed. Those are the important documents para ma-link namin si Senator Revilla doon sa PDAF scam,” Santos said.

Division chairperson Associate Justice Efren dela Cruz gave the prosecution and the defense team 30 days to file their memoranda before submitting the plunder case for decision.

Revilla was indicted for plunder before the Sandiganbayan in June 2014. His case is the first to be finished since those against his former colleagues, former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada, are still in the trial stage.

Asked for comment, Revilla only said “God is good” as reporters attempted to interview him while he went out of the court room.

Santos, meanwhile, said the prosecution is confident that Revilla and his co-accused will be found guilty over their alleged misuse of P224 million worth of PDAF.

“We are confident that we have proven our case against Senator Revilla and the rest of the accused,” Santos said. —NB, GMA News