Senate bet Bong Revilla eyes legislation vs. 'false accusers'

A week after he was set free, former Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. on Thursday said he will push for a measure against “false accusers” if ever he succeeds in returning to the Senate in 2019.

"Yung legislative agenda meron, para dun sa mga false accusers," said Revilla, who spent the last four years in detention in Camp Crame, at a press conference. "Dapat may counter tayo diyan dahil hindi tama yung nangyari."

Revilla refused to identify persons who he said were moving against him "up to the last minute," but wished them bad karma.

"Up to the very last minute they’re moving. Kumbaga they really want to hang me. Hanggang ngayon gumagalaw sila. Kung may pamilya kayo maniwala kayo sa karma, babalik din yan sa inyo," he said.

The Sandiganbayan acquitted Revilla of plunder after the prosecution failed to prove that he received kickbacks worth P224.5 million by channeling his Priority Development Assistance Funds, or pork barrel, to fake foundations of alleged scheme mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.

Napoles and former Revilla aide Richard Cambe, on the other hand, were found guilty and sentenced to reclusion perpetua.

The pork barrel scam was one of the biggest controversies during the Aquino administration. It was then-Justice Secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima who pursued the case against him and several other public officials.

The Office of the Ombudsman under Conchita Carpio Morales then indicted Revilla and his former Senate colleagues, Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada, at the Sandiganbayan in 2014.

At the same press conference, Revilla's lead counsel, Estelito Mendoza, said Morales was eager to file plunder charges because of its non-bailable nature.

"The problem was that during that time when the Ombudsman was Justice Conchita Morales, para bang trigger happy na mag-file ng plunder. Bakit? Dahil plunder no bail, bilanggo kaagad," Mendoza said.

Showbiz comeback

Meanwhile, Revilla said he also plans to return to his acting stint next year.

He said show-business has been his main source of income, while being a senator was only meant to help the public.

"Ang talaga namang bread and butter natin ay pelikula at telebisyon. Yun ang source of income ko talaga hindi yung pagiging senador. Ito naging pagtulong, kung anuman ang pondo yun ang pagtulong natin sa tao,” Revilla said.

“Yung personal (funds) ko, sobra-sobra na yung kita ko e sa mga ginagawa kong pelikula. Yun (showbiz) ang talagang bread and butter ko,” he added.  —KBK, GMA News