Bong Revilla off the hook on pork barrel fund plunder case

Former Philippine senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla. File photo.

As many expected, former Philippine senator Bong Revilla on Friday was acquitted by the Sandiganbayan of the plunder case in relation to the misuse of P224 million pork barrel funds.

Pork barrel funds were coated as Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of previous administrations.

His co-accused, bussinesswoman Janet Lim Napoles and Atty Richard Cambe, were both declared guilty. Cambe is Revilla’s former aide.

Despite the acquittal of former actor Revilla,  he and the two others co-accused, were included in the court order to return the funds back to the government coffers.

Of the five justices in the Sandiganbayan’s First Division, three voted to acquit the former actor.

The anti-graft court ruled that Revilla cannot be held liable in the case, apparently due to the argument that his signature was forged in documents connectted to projects financed with Priority Development Assistanace Fund.

Revilla who has  been detained at Camp Crame for four years, is now a free man but remains charged with 16 counts of graft.  He is running for senator in the 2019 mid-term elections.

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