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Revilla not ordered to return P124 million, lawyer says


Former Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. was not among those ordered by the Sandiganbayan to return P124 million worth of civil liabilities following his plunder acquittal, one of his lawyers said on Monday.

Atty. Ramon Esguerra said the dispositive portion of the anti-graft's First Division was clear that only those found guilty -- alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles and former legislative aide Richard Cambe -- were required to return the amount.

"There is no basis for them to actually find Senator Bong criminally liable. Then very clearly, (he) is not civilly liable," Esguerra said in an interview on ANC.

Esguerra said this adheres to Article 100 of the Revised Penal Code, noting Revilla could not be held liable since the Sandiganbayan did not find him guilty.

"There is a misreading of the dispositive portion. Very clearly, in the last portion of the dispositive portion, there is mention of Article 100 of Revised Penal Code," Esguerra said.

"Article 100 is one of the shortest provision of Revised Penal Code, simply saying that 'every person found criminally liable for felony is also found civilly liable.' But if Senator Revilla was not found criminally liable by reason of his acquittal, how can can he be held civilly liable?" he added.

The Sandiganbayan acquitted Revilla of plunder due to the prosecution's failure to prove he received kickbacks worth P224.5 million after channeling his Priority Development Assistance Funds, or pork barrel, to bogus foundations of Napoles.

Napoles and Cambe, on the other hand, were found guilty and ordered to "solidarily" return P124 million in civil liabilities.

However, the issue on who were those liable for the amount was unclear minutes after the Sandiganbayan rendered its judgment.

Esguerra said he was one of those confused at first. He said he only understood that his client was not among those who needs to the pay the government upon reading the full decision of the anti-graft court.

"It may have come from me too in a way because at the time I was interviewed about this civil liability I have not yet read the entirety of the decision," he said. —LDF, GMA News

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