Lead prosecutor in Bong Revilla plunder case leaves Ombudsman after appointment as RTC judge

The Office of the Ombudsman has lost its lead prosecutor in the plunder case against detained former Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. at the Sandiganbayan in connection with his alleged involvement in the multi-billion-peso pork barrel fund scam.

In a letter dated June 23, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Joefferson Toribio as judge of Branch 11-FC of the Tarlac City Regional Trial Court.

Toribio, who has been on board on the Revilla case since the start, left at a time when the former lawmaker's legal team is mulling to contest the evidence against him.

Last month, lead defense counsel Estelito Mendoza bared the intention of his camp to file a demurrer to evidence — a motion seeking to dismiss a case on the ground of weak evidence from the prosecution.

Mendoza said he opted to file a demurrer and not a motion for bail due to the prosecution's failure to prove the guilt of Revilla.

"Demurrer simply means we will be contesting that the evidence of the prosecution has proven the guilty of the accused beyond reasonable doubt," Mendoza said.

"At this point the prosecution has not proven any element of the offense except that Senator Revilla was a senator and a public official, nothing more nothing else. He should not been in fact arrested and detained at all," he added.

The prosecution rested its case against Revilla on October 3. It submitted its formal offer of evidence on October 24. 

Revilla is accused of amassing P224-million worth of kickbacks by allocating his PDAF from 2006 to 2010 to non-government organizations linked to alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.

Asked on how his departure can affect the bench of the prosecution, Toribio told GMA News Online that he would rather have his replacement comment on the matter.

"I really don't want to comment anymore. Let's just wait for my replacement. Maybe he/she can comment," Toribio said.

Toribio, nonetheless, said he will miss his colleagues at the anti-graft body where he spent 13 years of his legal profession.

"I'm leaving with a heavy heart because I've been with the office for 13 years and I have built good relationships. But I am also looking forward to a new beginning and new challenges," he said.

Based on latest figures from the Ombudsman, Toribio leaves the Official of the Special Prosecutor with only at least 200 lawyers in its roster who are handling almost 8,000 cases.

Furthermore, the Ombudsman has yet to fill 800 vacancies out of the total 2,100 lawyer and non-lawyer plantilla positions. — Joseph Tristan Roxas/MDM, GMA News