Court affirms ruling vs Revilla’s bid to inhibit justice who denied bail

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Third Division affirmed its earlier ruling to deny the move of former Sen. Bong Revilla  to bar its chairperson, Associate Justice Karl Miranda, the sole judge who denied his bail petition, from participating in the trial of his malversation case.

In a ruling promulgated on Oct 22 but was only furnished on Friday, the Third Division denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Revilla on the Sept. 24 resolution of the court.

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

“The court found the Motion for Reconsideration to be without merit and, accordingly, affirmed the denial of Revilla’s Second Motion for Inhibition,” the court said in a statement.

According to the court, Revilla’s points in his MR have already been addressed last Sept. 24.

“Revilla had not provided any new or additional act, conduct, or circumstance that could be considered as clear and convincing evidence of Justice Miranda’s bias and prejudice that would warrant his recusal from hearing the instant case,” it said in a statement.

Revilla’s second Motion for Inhibition sought to ask Miranda to inhibit from participating in the trial of the former senator and six of his co-accused stemming from alleged ghost flood control project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Pandi, Bulacan worth P92.8 million.

In this motion, Revilla cited that Miranda is related to counsel of state witness and former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo; that the justice relied heavily on Bernardo’s testimony; and that he allegedly showed prejudgement before voting to deny the former senator’s bail.

In February, the Third Division already denied Revilla’s first motion for inhibition against Miranda.

Revilla is out on P1 million bail after the Third Division voted 2-1 for the former senator’s provisional liberty.

Associate Justice Ronald Moreno and Associate Justice Fritz Bryn Delos Santos voted to grant Revilla’s bail.  /gsg