Bong Revilla granted bail; Ombudsman vows to fight for strong evidence

Malacañang said Friday it respects the resolution of the Sandiganbayan granting the bail petition of former Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. in connection with his P92.8-M flood control malversation case. In a message to reporters, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro acknowledged that such matters rest in the hands of the anti-graft court. "Nasa sa kamay ng Sandiganbayan ang pagpapasya sa mga ganyang usapin. Nirerespeto ng administrasyon ang mga resolution o decision ng mga korte," Castro said. (The decision regarding such matters is up to the Sandiganbayan. The administration respects the resolutions or decisions of the courts.) "Nasa kamay na rin po ng mga prosecutors kung ano ang nararapat na tamang aksyon o remedyo para sa nasabing order o resolution ng Sandiganbayan. Dapat lang laging manaig ang batas at ang proseso," she added. (It is also up to the prosecutors to determine the appropriate course of action or legal remedy regarding the order or resolution by Sandiganbayan. The rule of law and due process must always prevail.) The Sandiganbayan said it granted Revilla's bail application "for failure of the prosecution to establish that the evidence of his guilt is strong, insofar as it pertains to the charge of malversation through falsification of public documents." Revilla promptly posted a P1-million cash bond before the Sandiganbayan for his provisional release. The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) confirmed at 6:14 p.m. Friday, Revilla was released from the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory in Payatas, by virtue of the release order issued the Sandiganbayan Third Division. The anti-graft court, however, denied the bail petitions of Revilla’s co-accused in the case, which include key figures Engr. Brice Hernandez and Engr. Jaypee Mendoza, among others. For its part, the Office of the Ombudsman maintained that it has strong evidence against Revilla as it vowed to pursue the case. "The Office of the Ombudsman, while it respects the orders and decisions of the Sandiganbayan, must stand by its own investigation and work," it said in a statement. "We will exhaust all remedies to highlight the basis for which we can say that evidence of guilt is indeed strong against former Senator Ramon 'Bong' Revilla," the Ombudsman added. — VDV, GMA News