FILE PHOTO: Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. (Screen grab/ Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla on Monday praised the decision of the Sandiganbayan, which cleared him of graft in relation to the so-called pork barrel scam, and said he can now move on “free of this nuisance.”
“The truth has come out,” he said in a statement posted on Facebook. “Now, I can move forward to serving our nation and our people even further, free of this nuisance.”
In its decision, the Sandiganbayan Special First Division granted Revilla’s demurrer to evidence and acquitted the senator of 16 counts of graft.
“Nakita po ng Korte na walang basehan ang mga akusasyon sa akin. Hindi ko na nga kinailangan pang depensahan ang aking sarili at magbigay ng aming ebidensya. Sa mga isinumite pa lamang ng prosekusyon ay wala silang napatunayan,” the senator also said.
(The Court saw that the accusations against me have no basis. I no longer need to defend myself and give our evidence. The submission of the prosecution itself already did not prove anything.)
The senator also recalled how he faced “everything head-on,” saying efforts to taint his image were triggered by bad politics.
“Sa kabila ng pagwasak sa aking pangalan at pagkatao, hinarap kong lahat ng buong-buo dahil alam kong hindi mababago ang katotohanang ako ay naging biktima lamang ng masamang pulitika,” he said.
(Despite all efforts to smear my name and my character, I face them because I know it won’t change the truth that I was a victim of bad politics.)
Cases against Revilla’s former aide, Richard Cambe, were also dismissed by the Sandiganbayan by reason of death.
In December 2018, Sandiganbayan also acquitted Revilla of plunder in relation to the pork barrel scam.