NEWSFLASH

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"TORTURED" MAIDS DISAPPEAR, PRINCESS REVILLA ACQUITTED

Pasig City, Nov. 14, 1998 - Princess Revilla (Rebecca Bautista Ocampo in real life), daughter of Senator Ramon Revilla and sister of Cavite Governor Bong Revilla was acquitted yesterday of all the charges filed against her by her former maids, Ronelyn Lumactod and Precy Balolong, last May.

Judge Maria Cristina J. Cornejo of the Metropolitan Trial Court, Branch 68 in Pasig City dismissed the criminal charges of grave coercion, serious physical injuries, and physical injuries against the former actress.

The judge based the acquittal on the fact that "no witness was presented nor competent evidence adduced to substantiate the material facts constitutive of the said charges. The complainants no longer appeared in court. Efforts exerted by the prosecution to bring them to court were in vain."

The two maids left the custody of government social workers without leaving any forwarding address. There were rumors that the two had been handsomely paid to drop all interest in pursuing the cases against their former employer. Their failure to show up in court was cited several times in the judge's ruling.

The ruling also stated that "The existence of physical injuries on the persons of Lumactod and Balolong may have been amply established by their medical records and by the testimonies of their attending physicians but it is not sufficient for purposes of the criminal prosecution of the accused. The circumstances leading to and/or surrounding the infliction of the injuries, including the identity of the perpetrator, have not been proven. Again, the complainants failed to appear in court to testify in relation to their charges."

According to the lady judge, what appears to be the only evidence on record that could inculpate the accused as the perpetrator of the crimes were the sworn statements of the complainants. The judge ruled, however that the contents of the sworn statements were incompetent and inadmissible for being hearsay.

Revilla cried unabashedly when she heard the verdict of her acquittal.

"I was finally vindicated," the former actress said. "I really wanted to clear my name more than anything else in this world. I wanted to clear my name for the sake of my late mother Azucena Mortel (She died six months ago)."

"I am happy all this is over. Talagang may hustisya sa ating bansa, sayang at wala na ang Mommy ko. This is truly the happiest Friday the 13th of my life," Revilla said.

Later in the day, she hosted a press conference for members of the entertainment press and revealed plans to return to acting via a television project.