Revilla’s acquittal illogical, laughable — IBP exec

An executive of the country's official organization of lawyers on Monday called the decision to acquit former Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. illogical and laughable.

“Nagiging illogical at katawa-tawa na ang resulta,” Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) vice chairperson Domingo Cayosa said in an interview on Balitanghali.

“Kasi ang sabi ng majority of five na may ninakaw na daan-daang milyong piso at hindi guilty si Senator Revilla, ngayon pinapasauli sa kanya 'yung ninakaw,” he continued.

According to Cayosa, in the original decision, two minority justices found Revilla guilty of plunder while one justice found the senator not guilty.

“Dalawa silang nagsasabing guilty, isa lang ang nagsabing hindi guilty. Napakasimple ho, kung susundin natin 'yung majority rule, talagang guilty na dapat,” Cayosa said.

But Sandiganbayan has an internal rule that a unanimous decision is required among justices to convict an accused under the Rule 8 Section 1 Paragraph B, he said.

“Kaya nga lang, meron kasi itong katawa-tawang rule ang Sandiganbayan, internal rules nila. Talagang nagsasabi kung may isang kaso sa isang division aba kailangan unanimous yung tatlo para mag-convict,” Cayosa said.

He said if the decision is not unanimous, they will invite by raffle two more justices from different divisions to decide on the case—a rule that only exists in Sandiganbayan.

“At kung ang isa ay hindi sumasang-ayon dun sa dalawa, ang gagawin by raffle kukuha sila ng dalawa pa sa ibang division,” Cayosa explained.

The decision of the two new justices led to the acquittal of Revilla of plunder via a majority vote of 3-2.

“Yung pinaka-bigtime siya ang hindi mananagot. Siya ang hindi makukulong, hindi maparusahan. Pero yung mga empleyado at yung mga nag-facilitate nito ay sila ang mananagot,” Cayosa said. — Joviland Rita/BM, GMA News