Ombudsman Pushes for Revocation of Bong Revilla's Bail

The Sandiganbayan 3rd Division recently granted former senator Bong Revilla’s petition for bail, allowing him temporary liberty while his malversation and graft cases are pending. Revilla is already out on bail for his graft case, and this latest resolution pertains to the malversation case. The Office of the Ombudsman's prosecutors, however, are not backing down. They have filed an appeal asking the 3rd Division to reconsider its resolution, arguing that Revilla was part of a conspiracy to commit malversation of public funds and that the evidence, when taken as a whole, establishes his presumptive guilt. Prosecutors contend that Revilla acted as the proponent for a P92.8-million flood control project with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). As a proponent, he allegedly ensured the project would be funded and received "commitments" in exchange. The Ombudsman argues that Revilla's act of requesting project lists for funding and demanding "commitments" showed he was not only an active participant but also a beneficiary of the diversion of public funds, knowing the projects would serve as vehicles for disbursement. While the court's July 31 resolution stated that the funds Revilla received from private contractors were not considered public funds under the definition of malversation, the prosecution countered that Revilla's liability stems from his alleged co-conspiracy in the misappropriation of P76,916,337.42. Citing past cases, the Ombudsman argued that a conspirator is not required to participate in every stage of the criminal act. The prosecutors emphasized that Revilla's alleged receipt of "commitments" before the project's implementation demonstrated his knowledge of and agreement to the criminal design. They concluded by stating that the case involves not just the wastage of public funds but also the betrayal of trust by public officers, who enriched themselves at the expense of public service. Information source: Rappler Philippines