QUEZON CITY, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has turned down another attempt by former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. to recuse Associate Justice Karl Miranda from his pending ₱92.8-million malversation case, citing a lack of proof to back claims of judicial partiality.
In a resolution issued on September 24, the antigraft court’s Third Division declared that Revilla failed to present the required threshold of evidence to justify removing the magistrate from the proceedings.
The court ruled that the grounds raised by the defense were insufficient to establish bias, reaffirming that unfavorable or adverse rulings alone do not prove a judge is prejudiced against an accused individual.
Revilla had pressed for Miranda’s disqualification on several grounds, including the fact that the magistrate’s brother, attorney Buenaventura Miranda, previously served as legal counsel for prosecution witness and former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.
The former lawmaker also pointed to Miranda’s earlier dissenting opinion against granting him bail, as well as the justice’s previous public comments regarding potential benefits under the good conduct time allowance law.
The charges stem from an alleged “ghost” flood control initiative in Pandi, Bulacan, which led to graft and malversation indictments against Revilla and several former officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Ombudsman prosecutors allege that the defendants colluded to wrongfully disburse approximately ₱76.9 million to contractor SYMS Construction Trading for a flood control structure that was reportedly never built.
While the malversation charge remains with the Third Division, the companion graft case was assigned to the Fourth Division. Revilla, who remains out on bail, continues to deny any involvement in the municipal project.