Game over! Ombudsman won’t appeal dismissal of graft raps vs Bong Revilla

Ombudsman Samuel Martires declared on Thursday (July 8) that it respects the decision of the Sandiganbayan (SB) to dismiss the graft charges against Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. over his alleged involvement in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

“The SB First Division voted 3-2 to grant Senator Revilla’s Demurrer to Evidence, AND WERESPECT ITS DECISION,” read the statement of the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB).

”Consistent with the defendant’s constitutional right against double jeopardy, Ombudsman Samuel Martires sets the policy of no longer challenging the dismissal of cases/quashal of information and judgments of acquittal, either through a motion to dismiss, a demurrer to evidence or by a decision, rendered by the trial courts or the Sandiganbayan except when the People was clearly deprived of due process or there was mistrial,” it assured.

The OMB explained that a demurrer to evidence is “a motion to dismiss on the ground of insufficiency of evidence.”

“The grant of the court of the demurrer is tantamount to an acquittal because the defendant is cleared of the criminal case and is no longer required to present his evidence,” it said.

The OMB noted that the graft charges were filed in 2014 against Revilla who was “accused of diverting his Priority Development Assistance Fund for the years 2006 to 2009 to non-governmental organizations linked to Janet Napoles, and getting P224.5M kickback in the process.”

The post Game over! Ombudsman won’t appeal dismissal of graft raps vs Bong Revilla first appeared on .

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)