Senate to implement Revilla, Cambe suspensions next month

The Senate has decided to implement next month the 90-day suspension orders against Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. and his staff, lawyer Richard Cambe, who are both detained over plunder and graft charges.

In a letter to Revilla and Cambe on Monday, Senate President Franklin Drilon said the Senate received the October 22 resolution of the Sandiganbayan First Division suspending the two on October24.

 

“...(T)here being no further incident following the court’s denial of your motion for reconsideration, your suspension pendente lite as directed in the 31 July 2014 resolution (of Sandiganbayan) shall now be implemented by the Office of the Senate President,” Drilon said in the letter.

 

The anti-graft court earlier junked Revilla and Cambe’s appeal on their suspensions in September. 

 

“We are therefore left with no recourse but to implement the order of suspension,” Drilon said.

 

The Senate leader said that while the order was issued on July 31, there was a motion of reconsideration filed and the Senate was not provided a copy of the resolution until Friday.

 

He said the suspension will be implemented starting Nov. 3, 2014 until Jan. 31, 2015. 

 

“His salaries and the funds to his office will be suspended, pero ang mga sweldo po ng kanyang mga empleyado ay patuloy po,” Drilon said.

 

Revilla and Cambe are facing plunder and graft charges in connection with the alleged pork barrel scam. Both of them are detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

 

The senator is accused of receiving P224.5 million in kickbacks from 2006 to 2010 from alleged mastermind  Janet Lim-Napoles.

 

The Senate earlier implemented the suspensions of Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Jinggoy Estrada. — RSJ, GMA News