MANILA, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan First Division has ordered to freeze some properties, bank accounts and shares of stocks of Senator Bong Revilla Jr. amounting to P224.5 million.
This decision was made after the special prosecution panel submitted its motion for issuance of writ to preliminary attachment or garnishment.
The writ of preliminary attachment is applicable to the properties of a government official who is accused of embezzlement.
It says the bank accounts, deposits, real properties, vehicles and shares of stocks of the senator should be secured.
The decision was released after Senator Revilla’s motion to bail for the plunder case was denied on December 2014.
Meanwhile, the second batch of PDAF cases is already raffled to the five divisions of Sandiganbayan.
The First Division will handle the malversation case against the former Cagayan De Oro Representative Constantino Jaraula.
The Second Division will handle the case against former Agusan Del Sur Representative Rodolfo Plaza.
The Third Division will handle the case of former Benguet Representative Samuel Dangwa.
While the plunder cases against former Masbate Representative Rizalina Seachon-Lanete and former APEC Partylist Representative Edgar Valdez will be handled by the 4th and 5th Division respectively.
Janet Lim Napoles is also a respondent in these cases because the aforementioned congressmen are accused of using their PDAF funds to finance the ghost projects of NGOs linked to Napoles.
After the raffle of the cases and endorsement of papers and evidences to each division, the assigned associate justices will determine whether there is probable cause or none.
According to Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, despite the new tasks, their current cases that they handle will not be affected.
“Well, in the past, the position of the Sandiganbayan is that there is no need to add more divisions because there is also a move to remove a big bulk of cases from the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan,” he said. (Rosalie Coz / UNTV News)