‘Pork’ suspects arraigned today at Sandiganbayan

MANILA, Philippines - Tighter security is expected at the Sandiganbayan today where Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and several others are scheduled for arraignment for plunder and graft for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

Revilla, Napoles, the senator’s former chief of staff Richard Cambe and the others would each be made to enter a plea – either guilty or not guilty – after which the court would schedule pre-trial and preliminary conferences to signal the start of trial.

Sandiganbayan security and sheriff services office chief Albert de la Cruz said they have coordinated with the Philippine National Police for the deployment of additional police personnel outside the Sandiganbayan building.

“But inside the Sandiganbayan, it will be the same, it’s the Sandiganbayan security who will be in charge,” he told The STAR.

“There will also be an eight-man team from the Supreme Court who will help assist inside and outside the First Division courtroom,” he added.

He said there would be designated areas for media and that only accredited reporters would be allowed inside the courtroom as earlier agreed.

Revilla’s arrival at the Sandiganbayan last Friday following the issuance of an arrest order against him caused a ruckus as reporters jostled for space around the senator.

Revilla is accused of pocketing more than P242 million in kickbacks for projects bankrolled using his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), the official term for the congressional pork barrel.

The senator has been in detention at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame since Monday.

Last Tuesday, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada joined him in detention after turning himself in to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Ombudsman made a last minute amendment yesterday to the information on Revilla’s case.

In a manifestation and motion to admit the amended information, government lawyers led by deputy special prosecutor John Turalba asked the anti-graft court’s First Division to allow some changes in the criminal complaint against Revilla.

The amendment was approved by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio- Morales.

“It must be noted that the amendment is being made before the arraignment of the accused,” an ombudsman panel of lawyers headed by Joefferson Toribio said, noting that the amended information “does not charge another offense different or distinct from that charged in the original one.”

They said the “additional allegations or modifications do not alter the prosecution’s theory of the case so as to cause surprise to the accused and affect the form of defense he has or will assume.”

They added that the amendment “merely states with additional precision something which is already contained in the original information.”

Based on the amended complaint, the senator’s and Cambe’s middle names were stated as Bautista and Abdon, respectively.