Bong Revilla’s lawyer blames Sereno’s issues for delay in resolution of plea for TRO

Former Senator Bong Revilla's legal counsel on Tuesday blamed the issues hounding Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for the delay in the resolution of his plea for a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the court proceedings in connection with his alleged role in the pork barrel scam.

Attorney Estelito Mendoza asked the Sandiganbayan First Division to cancel the court's hearings on March 6, 8, 13, and 15 until the Supreme Court had acted on Revilla's petition for certiorari to stop his plunder case and allow him to post bail.

"We are not pleading under normal times. I don't think accused Revilla should be penalized on a problem not his own making, nonetheless that of the Chief Justice," Mendoza said in open court.

Mendoza said Revilla should not be punished for a delay he did not cause.

The former Solicitor General, who served under the late dictator Marcos, said he had information that Revilla's petition had been deferred to next week at the earliest due to  the issues surrounding Sereno and the SC.

"The postponement is not for casual reasons, it is for us and the SC to look into the issues substantial to the right to due process. This is the first time the Supreme Court is in a state of paralysis. Everybody is pre-occupied with the Chief Justice," he said.

Sereno is under an indefinite leave at the SC to prepare for her impeachment trial at the Senate.

Thirteen SC justices have agreed that she should take an indefinite leave of absence.

Revilla's camp got what it wanted then the Sandiganbayan deferred the next hearing to March 20 after Janet Liim Napoles' lawyer Attorney Evita Magnolia Ansaldo bared their preparedness to present Napoles' defense.

Ansaldo first manifested to call Sandiganbayan stenographers from the Third and Fifth Division to prove alleged inconsistencies in the testimony of whistle-blower Benhur Luy.

The Sandiganbayan deemed that their testimony was "irrelevant" to the case.

Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg then scheduled the hearing to continue on March 13 but Ansaldo appealed that it be moved to March 20 due to her travel to Bohol and also allow the lawyers of Napoles to confer as regards who would be their next witnesses.

Econg then called the attention of Mendoza on the deferrment of the hearing since the former lawmaker is third, after Napoles and former Revilla aide Richard Cambe, to present evidence.

"Attorney Mendoza, isn't that what you prayed for? Sabihin mo na lang kasalanan ni Napoles," Econg said in jest.

"If Napoles is not ready on March 20, will you be ready? Will be ready to present evidence on March 20?" she added.

Mendoza, however, said the matter would still depend on whether the SC would issue a TRO on or before the next hearing.

"I cannot answer, your honor. It depends on the Supreme Court," Mendoza said.

Revilla is accused of receiving P224.5 million in kickbacks for channeling his Priority Development Assistance Fund to bogus non-government organizations of Napoles from 2006 to 2010. —NB, GMA News