Sandiganbayan resets ex-Sen. Revilla’s graft case pre-trial to Aug. 10

Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Revilla and Juan Ponce Enrile. (Photo by Alex Nuevaespaña / Public Relation and Information Bureau / Wikimedia Commons.)

MANILA — The Sandiganbayan on Thursday deferred the pre-trial of former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. on his graft case for his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

The anti-graft court reset to Aug. 10, 2017 — originally scheduled today — the pre-trial of the former senator after some of his co-accused manifested that they still have to finish the “pre-marking” of the exhibits.

Likewise, the Sandiganbayan also ordered all the accused to attend the preliminary conferences which are scheduled on July 31, Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, 2017.

Revilla is facing plunder and graft charges for allegedly receiving the amount of PHP224.5 million in “kickbacks” in allotting his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to fake non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operated by businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.

Napoles is the alleged “brains” behind the PHP10-billion pork barrel and the PHP900-million Malampaya Fund scams.

The former senator is currently detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City for the “non-bailable” offense of plunder.

Napoles has been transferred from the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City after the Court of Appeals (CA) acquitted her of the case of serious illegal detention in connection with the alleged abduction of pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy.