Sandiganbayan releases warrant against Bong, Napoles, others

Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr.

MANILA – The Sandiganbayan released on Friday morning the warrant of arrest against Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr., the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles and 30 other people charged with graft and plunder.

The arrest warrant, which gives the authorities a go signal to arrest the senator, was signed on Thusday evening by Associate Justice Efren De La Cruz, presiding justice of the anti-graft court’s First Division.

Also included in the warrant are pork scam operator, Napoles and her brother Reynald Lim, who is still a fugitive from the serious illegal detention case, Revilla’s chief of staff Richard Cambe and other respondents.

Though plunder is a non-bailable offense, the court set the bail at P30,000 for the release of those charged with graft.

Revilla, however, said on earlier reports that there is no need for formal arrest as he is willing to voluntarily surrender himself to authorities.

‘Di na tayo mag-aantay, matatapos na rin ang paghihirap natin. Ganun na rin naman ‘yun e,” Revilla said in an interview over dzBB.

(We will no longer wait (for the police to come), our sacrifices will soon be over. It’s just the same.)

Revilla will be off to offer some prayers at St. Michael’s Church in Bacoor this morning before he eventually turn himself in at the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City.