Senator Bong Revilla, shown in photo on his way to be detained on plunder and graft charges, said his lawyer, Sal Panelo, only talked about the rats and roaches in his cell in jest. Revilla’s lawyer has said the senator’s family saw rats “as big as cats” inside the senator’s cell. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Sandiganbayan First Division has granted the request of detained Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. to increase the duration of his remaining physical therapy sessions on Thursday.
In a short hearing Thursday morning, Revilla’s lawyer Reody Anthony Balisi read before the court his client’s motion to have the senator’s therapy sessions each extended to two hours instead of just an hour.
In their motion, Revilla’s lawyers cited the recommendation of Senior Inspector Francisco Agudon III, the attending physician at the PNP General Hospital, to continue the senator’s physical therapy to complete six sessions and to increase the duration of his physical therapy to two hours per session.
Revilla’s camp said such medical attention is necessary “so that he (Revilla) may attain the fullest medical treatment possible, an so as not to render nugatory the proper medical treatment that this Honorable Court has kindly allowed him to undergo.”
Attached medical records of Revilla revealed he is suffering from herniated nucleus pulposus lumbar region, Achilles tendinitis, osteoarthritis both heels and acute T/C de Quervain’s tenosynovitis.
After hearing Revilla’s plea as read by his lawyer, First Division chairman Justice Efren Dela Cruz said in open court that “the motion is hereby granted.”
It can be remembered that the First Division, in a resolution issued last week granted the motion of Revilla to undergo check-up and physical therapy at the Philippine National Police General Hospital (PNPGH) in Camp Crame for at least three times a week or six sessions for two weeks.
Though it did not set the specific dates for the check-up and therapy sessions, the court, in its resolution, said each session must not exceed one hour.
Revilla already underwent therapy on June 8 but his scheduled session did not push through on Wednesday.
His lawyers hope the resolution will be issued in time for his therapy this afternoon to avail of the extended therapy session granted by the court.
His remaining physical therapy sessions are scheduled on June 11, 15, 17 and another date to be determined by the court.
Revilla is one of three senators detained in connection with the alleged pork barrel scam. He and Senator Jinggoy Estrada are detained at the PNP Custodial Center while Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile is detained at the PNP General Hospital. (MNS)