Revilla family ‘anxious, hopeful’ on pending Sandiganbayan decision

Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla on Thursday said the whole family is "both anxious and hopeful" that the decision of the Sandiganbayan in the plunder case of her husband, detained former Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., will be in their favor.

"The family is both anxious and hopeful. Patuloy kaming nagdarasal para magtagumpay ang katarungan at ang katotohanan," Lani said in a statement.

Lani also asked their supporters to pray for the First Division justices rule in acquitting Bong, who has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame since June 2014.

"We ask everyone to join us in our prayers for divine justice. Nawa ay dampian ng panginoon ang mga mahistrado," she said.

Defense counsel Ramon Esguerra, for his part, said the legal team of Bong has been "praying [on] bended knees for a judgment in his favor."

Confident of conviction

Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said she would convict Bong of plunder based on the weight of the evidence gathered by the Office of the Ombudsman during her leadership.

Morales, however, said she will not attend the promulgation of judgment at the Sandiganbayan.

"I am not going to attend promulgation. (But) given the evidence the office gathered, if I were a judge, I would convict him. Period," she said in a statement.

The Sandiganbayan will render its judgment against Bong, his former aide Richard Cambe, and alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles on December 7, Friday, after more than a year of trial.

Bong, in particular, was accused of channeling his Priority Development Assistance Fund, or pork barrel, to the bogus non-government organizations of Napoles from 2006 to 2010.

His acts allegedly allowed him to amass ill-gotten wealth worth P224.5 million.

In case Bong is convicted on Friday, Esguerra stressed his client still enjoys the presumption of innocence until the ruling is deemed final.

"As in all criminal cases, it is the people who bear the burden of proving the guilt of an accused beyond reasonable doubt. That is constitutionally enshrined," Esguerra said.

"As things are, the  presumption of innocence of former Senator Revilla remains until a final judgment is rendered. That constitutional right attaches even with an adverse outcome tomorrow," he added.

Esguerra said the defense panel believes Bong did not commit plunder, regardless of the Sandiganbayan decision. — RSJ, GMA News