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Sandiganbayan resets ex-Sen. Revilla’s plunder trial to Feb. 9

MANILA, Jan. 12 (PNA) -- The Sandiganbayan on Thursday reset the first day of trial of the plunder charges against former Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. to Feb. 9, 2017.

This after the prosecutors from the Office of the Ombudsman (Ombudsman) asked the anti-graft court for more time to amend their pre-trial brief.

The cancellation of the trial was made even if the former senator was already inside the courtroom, accompanied by his wife, former Cavite congresswoman and now Bacoor, Cavite Mayor Lani Mercado, and his battery of lawyers.

Revilla left the Sandiganbayan courtroom after the trial was cancelled.

Before the hearing was cancelled, former Department of Justice (DOJ) Minister and erstwhile Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza, one of the lawyers of Revilla, told the Sandiganbayan that, "There are many (prosecution) witnesses. The case will probably stand forever."

For his part, former DOJ Undersecretary Atty. Ramon Esguerra, another lawyer of Revilla, told the court that he wanted to push through with today's trial because Revilla has been in detention for more than 2 years now at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame.

He faces the non-bailable offense of plunder for allegedly receiving millions in “kickbacks” from businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, whose fake non-government organizations (NGOs) were allotted proceeds of the PDAF of the former lawmaker.

The Sandiganbayan said the draft of pre-trial order is already 830 pages long.

The prosecution will also present 199 witnesses on Revilla's plunder trial, including 77 beneficiaries.

On the other hand, Ombudsman Prosecutor Joefferson Toribio said they were only informed by the court today about the need for corrections in the pre-trial order.

”This number (of witnesses) only bloated because of the number of beneficiaries and bank representatives,” Toribio told the court.

He said that 119 witnesses was "bloated" because of the 77 beneficiaries who allegedly did not receive Revilla's PDAF (priority development assistance fund) project.

The prosecution asked the court for time to correct discrepancies in the 830-page pre-trial brief.

Because of this, the Sandiganbayan also set the preliminary conference between the defense and the prosecution panels on Jan. 19, 2017.(PNA)
FPV/PTR/EDS

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