Bong gets 3-day pass to visit pa

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan yesterday granted the request of former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. to leave his cell for three days to visit his sick father in the hospital.

As prayed for in his urgent motion filed on Wednesday, the anti-graft court’s First Division allowed Revilla to leave the Philippine National Police Custodial Center, where he is detained, from 6 a.m. to noon yesterday and from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 “for humanitarian considerations.”

In his motion, Revilla informed the court that his 89-year-old father, former senator Ramon Revilla Sr., was rushed back to St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Taguig on Dec. 22 due to acute kidney injury and esophageal disease.

Revilla said his father is expected to be confined at SLMC until Jan. 3 as he is scheduled to undergo a gastrostomy tube insertion procedure “due to his inability to eat on his own.”

On Dec. 16, the First Division allowed Revilla to leave his detention for six hours to visit his father, who was confined at the intensive care unit  of SLMC due to severe sepsis and pneumonia.

The court reminded Revilla, who is on trial for plunder and graft in connection with his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam, that he is not allowed to grant any media interview and that he must shoulder all the expenses to be incurred for his transportation and security.