Court Denies Revilla's Plea to Attend Brother's Wake

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has denied former senator Ramon Revilla Jr.’s request to leave jail to attend his brother’s wake. Granting Revilla furlough would “unduly create an impression on the public that he, being a former high-ranking official, is a favored detainee over and above other similarly situated detainees,” the anti-graft court’s Third Division said. His furlough would strain the security capabilities of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, the court said. Revilla had requested to leave the New Quezon City Jail for at least four hours to visit the wake of his brother, Jojo Manungas Bautista, in Imus, Cavite. Instead of a physical visit, Revilla can virtually participate in memorial rites, the court said. Revilla is facing malversation charges through falsification of public documents, stemming from a P92.8-million anomalous flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan. Meanwhile, the Sandiganbayan has rejected a motion for inhibition of justices filed by another defendant in former lawmaker Zaldy Co’s malversation case. Ruling that repeated unfavorable decisions do not prove judicial bias, the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division denied Lerma Cayco’s motion to disqualify judges and re-raffle her case to another division. Cayco and eight other former Mimaropa public works employees are accused of signing off on vouchers and inspection reports for a project handled by Co’s Sunwest Inc.