Sandiganbayan rejects bid to remove justice from Revilla bail case

MANILA — The Sandiganbayan Third Division rejected a special prosecutors' motion on Monday seeking the voluntary inhibition of Associate Justice Ronald Moreno from the malversation of public funds case involving former Senator Bong Revilla. The court found no merit in allegations of bias raised by prosecutors handling the high-profile graft case. Revilla faces charges in connection with the alleged anomalous handling of Priority Development Assistance Fund allocations, with prosecutors claiming he acted as a co-conspirator in the scheme. The three-justice division determined that Justice Moreno's previous rulings in the case, including decisions on bail applications, did not constitute grounds for his removal from the proceedings. The rejection of the recusal motion clears the way for the trial to continue with the current bench composition.