PNP ready to secure arraignment of Sen. Revilla on Thursday at Sandiganbayan

Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. with wife Lani Mercado face the public on the night before he surrenders to PNP. Screenshot of Solar News footage.

MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said it is ready to secure Senator Ramon Revilla Jr, who is set to be arraigned Thursday for charges of plunder and graft at the Sandiganbayan.

Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP-Public Information Office (PIO) chief, said there will be heavy police presence at Sandiganbayan in Quezon City as policemen from Quezon City Police District (QCPD), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Headquarters Support Service (HSS) and National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) were tapped to secure the route that will be taken by the convoy of Revilla.

According to Sindac, the Sandiganbayan entrusted the PNP to bring Revilla to the court whenever he is needed and bring him back safely in his detention cell at PNP Custodial Center inside Camp Crame.

Aside from Revilla, his chief of staff Richard Cambe will also be brought with him at the Sandiganbayan for the arraignment.

Sindac said the security arrangement for Revilla and Cambe will also be used in the case of Senator Jinggoy Estrada whose arraignment is set on Monday.

Revilla and Estrada were detained at the Custodial Center after the anti-graft court issued arrest warrants against the two senators, including for plunder which is a non-bailable offense.

Cambe, who is also detained at the Custodial Center, is Revilla’s co-accused in plunder along with Janet Lim Napoles, her brother, John Raymund Lim, and driver Raymund de Asis. Both remain unaccounted.

Also expected to appear before the Sandiganbayan is Napoles who is tagged as the mastermind of the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

Napoles is already detained in a police camp at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna for serious illegal detention filed by whistle-blower and former employee Benhur Luy.

Sindac said they see no problem transporting Napoles to Sandiganbayan, noting that they have done that before several times — from her Senate appearance, court appearance and even her operation at the Ospital ng Makati.

“Unless there is court order that they don’t need Napoles in Sandiganbayan, but usually in arraignment proceedings they are required to be present,” Sindac said, adding that the Special Action Force (SAF) is assigned to secure Napoles.