MANILA – An executive of the country’s official organization of lawyers on Monday called the decision to acquit former senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. from plunder charges illogical and laughable.
“Nagiging illogical at katawa-tawa na ang resulta,” Integrated Bar of the Philippines vice chairman Domingo Cayosa said in an interview on the television newscast Balitanghali.
“Kasi ang sabi ng majority of five na may ninakaw na daan-daang milyong piso at hindi guilty si [former] senator Revilla, ngayon pinapasauli sa kanya iyong ninakaw,” said Cayosa.
In the original decision two minority justices found Revilla guilty of plunder while one justice found the senator not guilty, he said.
“Dalawa silang nagsasabing guilty, isa lang ang nagsabing hindi guilty. Napakasimple ho, kung susundin natin iyong majority rule, talagang guilty na dapat,” Cayosa said.
But the Sandiganbayan has an internal rule that a unanimous decision is required among justices to convict an accused under Rule 8, Section 1, Paragraph B, he said.
“Kaya nga lang, meron kasi itong katawa-tawang rule ang Sandiganbayan, internal rules nila. Talagang nagsasabi kung may isang kaso sa isang division, aba kailangan unanimous iyong tatlo para mag-convict,” Cayosa said.
If the decision is not unanimous, they will invite by raffle two more justices from different divisions to decide on the case – a rule that exists only in the Sandiganbaya – said the IBP official.
“At kung ang isa ay hindi sumasang-ayon doon sa dalawa, ang gagawin by raffle kukuha sila ng dalawa pa sa ibang division,” Cayosa explained.
The decision of the two new justices led to the acquittal of Revilla of plunder via a majority vote of 3-2.
“Iyong pinaka-big time siya ang hindi mananagot. Siya ang hindi makukulong, hindi maparusahan. Pero iyong mga empleyado at iyong mga nag-facilitate nito ay sila ang mananagot,” Cayosa said. (GMA News)
