Senator Ramon 鈥淏ong鈥� Revilla Jr. 黑料社 file photo / CATHY MIRANDA
MANILA, Philippines鈥擲enator Ramon 鈥淏ong鈥� Revilla听Jr. lamented Thursday that听he could听have faced death because听of politics.
This is why Revilla has been pushing for the inclusion in the proposed restoration of death penalty the imposition of the capital punishment also听 against people who falsely accuse others of plunder.
On Thursday,听the senator reiterated听his support for the restoration听of听the death penalty for heinous听crimes related to drugs听as well as听plunder .
Revilla himself had been听detained and charged with plunder听over听his alleged involvement in the听so-called pork barrel scam.听But in December 2018, the Sandiganbayan acquitted him of plunder.
READ: Revilla acquitted; Napoles, Cambe convicted of plunder charges
鈥淚 am not affected by this proposal dahil acquitted ako, not guilty. Napatunayang ginipit lang ako,鈥� he said in听a statement.
鈥淧ero sa pinagdaanan ko na inakusahan ng mali at inabswelto at pinawalang-sala, dapat may kaakibat na parusa sa mga nanggipit at nang-api.鈥�
鈥淚 could have faced death just because of politics,鈥� Revilla added. 鈥淜ung ginawa ito sa akin, dapat siguruhin na hindi na ito magagawa sa iba.鈥�
Thus, he said,听Senator听Christopher听鈥淏ong鈥� Go need not have to听seek his support听for his bill, seeking the reimposition of the death penalty, since听he has been supportive of it from the start.
Go reportedly said that听he would ask听Revilla to support his measure.
READ: Go files bill restoring death penalty for heinous crimes
鈥淔rom the get go, I have expressed my strong and personal support to capital punishment for drug trafficking and plunder,鈥澨齊evilla said.
鈥淚f at all, ako ang hihingi ng tulong sa kanya [Go], to support yung aking panukala na idagdag sa batas, to prevent it from being weaponized for politics, na false accusers should also suffer death,鈥澨齢e further said. /jpv