Court junks Ombudsman move vs justice who grants Revilla’s bail

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Third Division on Monday said it junked the move of special prosecutors to ask its member, Associate Justice Ronald Moreno, to voluntarily inhibit from the malversation case trial of former Sen. Bong Revilla over alleged bias.

Revilla faces a malversation of public funds case for being an alleged co-conspirator in the illegal disbursement of P76.9 million for the purported ghost flood control project of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Pandi, Bulacan, worth P92.8 million, supposedly in exchange for a 25-percent cut.

“The Sandiganbayan Third Division has DENIED for lack of merit the prosecution’s Motion for Voluntary Inhibition of Honorable Senior Associate Justice Ronald B. Moreno, in the case of People vs. Revilla, Jr., et al.,” said Dennis Pulma, Third Division clerk of court, in a statement.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Sandigan justice who approved Revilla bail asked to inhibit over ‘bias’

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

Moreno was asked by the Office of the Special Prosecutor to voluntarily inhibit from the case, citing “unwarranted conduct” against the prosecution’s witnesses against Revilla.

In their 69-page motion, special prosecutors said: “Justice Moreno’s demeanor and questions to the witnesses were apparently unfair, unreasonable, disrespectful, and lacking in judicial restraint.”

READ: Court junks Revilla motion to inhibit justice who denied his bail bid

Moreno voted to allow Revilla to post P1 million bail, along with Associate Justice Fritz Bryn Delos Santos.

Article continues after this advertisement

On the other hand, Associate Justice Karl Miranda, chairperson of the Third Division, voted against it.

The Third Division has also dismissed two motions of Revilla’s camp asking Miranda to voluntarily inhibit from the case. /cb