Bong Revilla denies he hid assets under aliases

Published July 12, 2015 4:50pm

Detained Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. denied that he and his wife, Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla, deliberately concealed their assets under various aliases following an expanded freeze order issued by the Sandiganbayan to cover more properties of the couple.

“Kahit na hindi na ako nagulat, sadyang nakakapanlumo pa rin itong ginagawa sa akin at sa aking pamilya... All our aliases are legal and we have no concealed assets," Revilla said in a statement issued Sunday.

“There is a saying that you shouldn’t kick someone when he’s already down. Ang ginagawa sa akin, hindi lang tinatadyakan kahit bagsak na. Sobra na,” he added.

In a six-page resolution issued Friday, the anti-graft court granted the prosecution's motion to include in the freeze order properties registered under Revilla's aliases as well as properties jointly registered under him and the aliases of his wife.

This would include the alias Jose Marie M. Bautista and Jose Marie Mortel Bautista, his birth name, and other aliases such as: Revilla Jr. Ramon, Bong, Ramon Bong Jr. Bautista, Ramon Bong Bautista, and Bautista Jose Marie.

The expanded freeze order also covers the properties jointly named under Revilla and the following aliases of his wife: Mercado Lani Hernandez, Bautista Jesusa Victoria, Jesusa Victoria H. Bautista, and Lani Mercado Revilla. Lani was born as Jesusa Victoria H. Bautista.

Prosecutors said that to ensure that Revilla will not be able to transfer any of his properties while the case is ongoing, all assets under his known aliases should also be frozen.

"It is well to note that some of these 'other known names' of accused Revilla is in furtherance of the implementation of the writ of attachment, and will not even, in any way, change the import of the Court's February 5, 2015 Resolution," the court said when it granted the motion.

Properties reflected in SALN

Senator Revilla, who is presently detained at the PNP Custodial Center, said that the properties listed under his and his wife’s birth names are all reflected in their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).

“Kung balak namin itago ang mga ito, bakit namin ilalagay sa SALN? Konting isip-isip naman. Common sense lang,” he said.

He explained that the alleged concealed assets listed under aliases were mostly acquired before 1995 or before he entered politics.

“All my properties acquired before 2003 are recorded belonging to Jose Marie M. Bautista. Natural lang naman dahil 2003 lang naman legally napalitan ang pangalan ko to Ramon B. Bong Revilla, Jr...Bakit may malisya ngayon?” he said.

However, it was only in October 19, 2009 that the Cavite Regional Trial Court Branch 19 approved the use of "Bong Revilla" as a registered family name.

Revilla also maintained that he did not earn kickbacks amounting to P224.512 million from the controversial pork barrel scam.

“Makikita naman na lahat ng aking mga naipundar ay bunga ng aking pagsisikap bilang artista, gayundin ng aking asawa. Everything is justified. They can take my earnings from me, but I sure did not take anything from government and from our people,” he said. — Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/JDS, GMA News

Tags: bongrevillajr, porkbarrelscam, bantaykaban, freezeorder