Former Sen. Bong Revilla granted a 10-hour furlough to spend Christmas with family

No one wants to celebrate the holidays alone so imagine what people in prison go through every time the holiday season comes. Locked in their cells and with no power to leave, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many of them try to appeal to a higher power during these desperate times. This is why former senator Bong Revilla Jr. couldn’t help but request that the court to allow him a temporarily release just so he could spend Christmas Eve with his family.

The senator has been detained for his alleged involvement with the pork barrel scam that shook the nation back in 2014. Now, three years have gone by and he is still behind bars. Thus, on December 12, he decided to ask the court’s consideration for his temporary release for the holidays.

What Bong Revilla Jr. wanted was to be free for 33 hours from December 24-25 and Dec. 30-31. However, the Sandiganbayan saw fit to grant him a mere 10-hour furlough to spend Christmas Eve with his loved ones.

GMA News reports that the former senator was allowed to leave the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame on December 24 at 11 a.m. He was allowed freedom until 9 p.m. Once free, he went straight to his residence in Bacoor City, Cavite.

Bong Revilla’s aide, Richard Cambe, was included in the deal. Cambe was reportedly allowed to spend the holidays at his brother’s house in Imus, Cavite. The court also allowed him to take advantage of his temporary release to undergo a dental checkup.

However, this kind of request did not come cheap as the Philippine National Police required both men to shoulder the expenses of their security measures and other necessities as deemed by the PNP.

Supervision was also provided. The security detail assigned by the PNP assured everyone that they will be keeping a close eye on Revilla and Cambe’s “use of any means of communication or electronic gadgets.”

They added that there will be no media present and no interviews involved during the two men’s temporary release.

Watch the video report below for a closer look at this story.

What do you think of the court’s decision to let Bong Revilla Jr. spend the holidays with his family? Do you think it was just? Why? Share your thoughts, reactions, and opinions in the comments section below!