Sandiganbayan grants Revilla leave to file MR

THE Sandiganbayan has granted former Senator Ramon “Bong” B. Revilla, Jr. leave to file a motion for reconsideration (MR) with the Office of the Ombudsman and entered a not guilty plea for him in a flood control malversation case.

In a resolution promulgated on Feb. 13 and made public on Monday, the anti-graft court’s Third Division gave the Ombudsman a 60-day window to resolve the appeal, clarifying that granting leave to file the motion “does not result in the suspension of the proceedings herein or the quashal of the warrants of arrest issued against them.”

The court also denied Mr. Revilla’s request to consolidate the malversation case with a separate graft case pending in the Fourth Division, saying a merger would introduce “disarray in the entirety of the proceedings.” Justices noted that the two cases involve different legal elements and that a joint trial would likely cause “unnecessary delay” in resolving the graft case.

Following the court’s refusal to suspend proceedings, the Third Division on Monday entered a not guilty plea for Mr. Revilla after he declined to do so personally during arraignment. Co-accused and former Department of Public Works and Highways accountant Juanito C. Mendoza also pleaded not guilty.  Both join five other co-accused who entered not guilty pleas on Feb. 9 on the same malversation charge.

Mr. Revilla remains detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas as his pretrial in the malversation case is scheduled for March 6. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking