(Eagle News)– Former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. failed to attend his first plunder case trial because he was confined at a hospital in Taguig City.
Atty. Reody Anthony Balisi, one of the former senator’s lawyers, told the Sandiganbayan First Division during Thursday’s hearing that Revilla was confined at St. Lukes Medical Center as he was suffering from hypertension.
Balisi–who presented to the antigraft court documents on the former senator’s condition—said the confinement took place while Revilla was visiting his ailing father.
Ramon Esguerra, another one of Revilla’s legal counsels, said his client’s condition was discovered after he (Revilla) sought a checkup after feeling “dizzy.”
Revilla is accused of benefiting from the allocation of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) fund to non-government organizations (NGOs) affiliated with alleged pork scam queen Janet Lim Napoles.
