‘Special treatment’: Revilla slams proposal to let De Lima join sessions
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.—once jailed for plunder—opposed the proposal to allow detained Sen. Leila de Lima to participate in Senate sessions remotely.
In a statement Tuesday, Revilla said De Lima’s situation is no different to what he had experienced before.
“Halatang halata naman ang special treatment 'pag pinayagan ‘yan ngayon,” he said.
(The special treatment is obvious if she is allowed to join Senate sessions.)
“Equal protection and fair play dictates that Leila De Lima cannot be allowed to participate in Senate proceedings, even if remotely,” Revilla added.
He said that allowing De Lima to join sessions would amount to “giving her favor over and above other detainees” and allowing her to vote in absencia would be a “travesty” against the upper chamber.
“And even if the rules are amended, it will lead to absurd results,” Revilla said.
The actor turned lawmaker issued the statement after eight former senators—including former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III—expressed support for the resolution seeking to allow the detained senator to participate in plenary sessions through teleconferencing.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Panfilo Lacson filed the resolution in July, stressing that De Lima remains entitled to enjoy her constitutional rights even while in detention.
“The double standards and sense of entitlement of some people are frankly quite disheartening. When I was incarcerated due to politically motivated charges, which the court has finally settled in my acquittal, a very vocal group were against my participation in Senate proceeding,” Revilla said.
He added: “In fact, it was the official position of the Senate leadership at that time that the absence of three senators would have no impact on legislation.”
Revilla is one of the lawmakers—along with colleagues Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada—accused of misusing P517 million of their Priority Development Assistance Fund and funnelling it to bogus non-government organizations.
The Sandiganbayan acquitted Revilla from the government’s plunder charge in December 2018.
He is still facing 16 counts of graft. He paid P480,000 worth of bail bond for the pending cases last year.
Recto: Let De Lima work from her prison cell
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto expressed support for the resolution tabled by Drilon and Lacson.
“Her being behind bars, on charges she has not been convicted yet, should not be a bar in the performance of her duties, especially the aspect which, thanks to technology, can be rendered remotely,” Recto said in a statement Tuesday.
He added: “If ordinary workers can now work from home, courtesy of the Telecommuting law which President Duterte signed into law last December, then Sen. De Lima can certainly do it from her prison cell.”
De Lima has been detained since Feb. 24, 2017 for allegedly having a hand in the proliferation of drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison during her stint as Justice chief. She has vehemently denied the allegation, saying the charges were prompted by her criticism of the Duterte administration.
Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV—one of the former lawmakers who back the proposal to let De Lima work remotely—spent part of his first term as legislator in detention on coup charges and was not allowed to attend sessions.
He was, however, allowed to hold legislative hearings at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center until he was provisionally released in 2010 while the amnesties granted to him and others implicated in mutinies against the Arroyo administration were being processed.
The Duterte government has since said the amnesty was void, effectively reviving the cases against Trillanes.
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