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September 2017 / Fortnightly – No. 18 • UK & Europe Edition IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS www.hello-philippines.com 13

R‘CMOeURTevSEdiTlTOlyRaUoLEOsNnaBAIyLaBsIgD boafbealxo-tc-oblaleloatgunea,J’inBgogonyg
DETAINED former Senator tulad kay Senator Jinggoy, a second couple through their real names Jose
Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. is confident present evidence of his guilt and the omnibus motion is “nothing more than petition for bail. Kaya naniniwala pa Marie Bautista and Jesusa Hernandez
his ex-colleague, Jinggoy Estrada, will negative effects of continued detention a second motion for reconsideration.” rin naman akong merong hustisya sa Bautista.
be allowed to post bail in his plunder on his well-being. bansa,” he said.
case involving the alleged pork barrel Asked if he will file a same motion However, Roldan, when questioned
scam. The prosecution, however, argued for his case, Revilla replied that he is Revilla is facing plunder and by Associate Justice Geraldine Faith
that the motion should be denied since leaving their next legal move to his graft charges for allegedly pocketing Econg, said he only made a suspicious
“Speechless ako, parang siyempre, Estrada’s earlier bail petition has been lawyers. P224.5 million in kickbacks after transaction report on the accounts
I’m happy for him,” Revilla said in an ruled with finality, saying plunder is channeling his pork barrel, or Priority pertaining to Revilla.
interview with reporters after his trial a non-bailable offense and that his “I will leave that to my lawyers pero Development Assistance Fund
before the Sandiganbayan on Thursday. siguro naman, gagawin din namin ‘yan (PDAF), allocations to the bogus non- He likewise admitted that the AUB
“Nalulungkot ako dahil iiwan na ‘ko ni government organizations linked to only conducted a transaction report
Senator Jinggoy... Medyo nagbabalot- alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim on the alleged fictitious accounts of
balot na [siya].” Napoles. Revilla when news broke out on the
scheme.
Estrada, meanwhile, denied that Transaction reports. During
he was already packing up to leave Thursday’s trial at the First Division, the “You mean to say you only filed
detention. prosecution brought Eduardo Roldan to the suspicious transaction report when
the witness stand to testify on Revilla’s news broke out [on the PDAF scam],”
“Hindi ako nagliligpit. No alleged multiple fictitious accounts at Econg said.
movement,” he said in a statement sent the Asia United Bank (AUB) worth
to reporters. more than P42 million. “Yes,” Roldan replied, which drew
the attention of the defense.
Both Revilla and Estrada are Roldan, AUB bank officer for
detained at the PNP Custodial Center in anti-money laundering compliance, The defense had earlier opposed
Camp Crame. identified several bank accounts owned the prosecution’s roster of bank officers
by Revilla, his wife Lani Mercardo saying it violates the bank secrecy law.
The Sandiganbayan is set to rule Revilla, and their son Leonard Bryan The Sandiganbayan, nonetheless,
on the appeal of Estrada to allow him Bautista. He identified the Revilla allowed the witnesses to proceed in
to post bail for plunder, where he cited their testimony. n Joseph Tristan Roxas, KBK,
the prosecution’s supposed failure to
GMA News | Published September 14, 2017 1:19 PM

Makabayan bloc bolts majority coalition, cuts ties with Duterte
THE seven-member Makabayan bloc na ang lahat ng mga batayan na ito ka ng majority, magkakaroon ka ng

composed of leftist lawmakers on Thursday kaya wala nang dahilan para manatili sa voting power. Kung hindi ka member ng

announced their decision to break their supermajority,” Tinio said. majority, mawawalan ka ng committee

alliance with the House majority coalition Anakpawis party-list Representative membership,” he said.

and with President Rodrigo Duterte, whom Ariel Casilao said the rejection of Judy This, he said, will not prevent the

they accused of reneging on his words. Taguiwalo and Rafael Mariano as Social bloc from registering their position

“Nagdeklara kami ng pagkalas sa Welfare and Agrarian Reform secretaries, on various issues and legislation being

majority [bilang] pagtutol namin sa respectively, also triggered their decision to discussed at the House.

administrasyong Duterte na pasista, kontra- bolt from the coalition. “Malinaw na ang Makabayan bloc

mamamayang rehimen,” ACT Teachers “’Yung pag-imbita sa kaliwa para ay may responsibilidad sa mga bumoto

party-list Representative Antonio Tinio said maging bahagi ng kanyang Gabinete ay sa amin,” said Gabriela Women’s

in a press conference in Quezon City. tinugunan ito at nagbigay tayo ng mga very Party Representative Emmi De Jesus.

“Mula ngayon wala na kami sa majority, competent na mga personalidad mula sa “Ipagpapatuloy namin ang aming

kami ay magiging independent bloc.” ating progresibong kilusan,” he said. pagkilala sa aming tungkulin kahit ang

Tinio said the basis for their support “Ang pagtanggal nila ay bahagi lamang aming mga poder ay hindi na namin Legal expert: Public officials can’t
receive gifts except from family
and alliance with the majority and with ng pag-unravel ng isang rehimen na hawak.”

Duterte was because of the President’s tumalikod na,” Casilao added. Other members of the Makabayan

pro-people policies and pronouncements, Bayan Muna party-list Representative bloc include Gabriela Women’s Party

among them the resumption of the peace Carlos Zarate said with their separation Representative Arlene Brosas, ACT

talks with communist rebels, release of from the House majority, members of the Teachers party-list Representative A legal expert on Thursday said of a family celebration, and without
government officials and employees are any expectation of pecuniary gain or
political prisoners, ending ties with the Makabayan bloc will be stripped of their France Castro and Kabataan party-list prohibited from receiving gifts except if benefit, and donations coming from
these came from family members. government to government entities,
United States, and pursuing an independent membership in the committees they belong Representative Sarah Elago. among others.
“Receiving a gift is not allowed
foreign policy. to. Casilao said they have already except if it’s from a family member,” said La Viña’s reaction came after
former Ateneo School of Government Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo
“Ngayon, nililinaw rin natin na wala “Yun ang consequence, kung member informed Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and dean Antonio La Viña. Duterte’s admission that the “expensive”
watch he was wearing recently was just
Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas of their According to La Viña, there are a gift.
four laws that prohibit the practice
separation from the majority. of gift-giving to public officials and Duterte, however, did not say who
employees. gave him the watch, which a netizen
The bloc, however, is hoping to said is an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
These are Articles 210 to 212 of the Offshore Chronograph model which
continue a good working relationship Revised Penal Code, Republic Act 3019 reportedly sells for P1.9 million.
or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices
with their former coalition. Act, Republic Act 6713 or the Code Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has
of Conduct and Ethical Standards for implicated the presidential son and
In response, Fariñas said he accepted Public Officials and Employees and his brother-in-law Atty. Mans Carpio in
Presidential Decree 46. smuggling, an allegation the vice mayor
the bloc’s decision. and Carpio dismissed as hearsay. n Virgil
The prohibition, however, does
“I respect and accept your decision not include a gift from a member of Lopez, JST, GMA News | Published September 14,
his family or relative on the occasion
with a heavy heart, of course. But, as 2017 6:26 PM

you know too well, I have good relations

even with the Independent (Magnificent)

7 who sued the Speaker, [Minority

Leader] Danilo Suarez, and I before the

Supreme Court,” Fariñas told Tinio in a

text message, which he shared to the

media. n Erwin Colcol, KBK, GMA News |

Published September 14, 2017 2:59 PM