BONG REVILLA, 6 DPWH EXECS FACE MALVERSATION, GRAFT RAPS

FORMER Sen.  Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and 6 other officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office were charged with malversation and graft in connection to a P92.8 million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

The Office of the Ombudsman on Friday filed the cases before the Sandiganbayan.

In a press conference, Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said that based on informations, the respondents conspired to facilitate the release of approximately P76 million for the supposed construction of a flood control project in Puroc 5, Bgy. Bonsuran in Pandi.

But official inspection and witness accounts showed the project was never implemented.

“Despite the absence of any actual construction, the respondents declared the project completed,” Clavano  said.

According to Clavano, the respondents are found to have falsified accomplishment reports, issued fraudulent billing documents, and endorsed disbursement vouchers.

He said the P92.8 million project was awarded to the contractor on March 28, 2025.

Among Revillas’s co-accused include assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez, engineer Jaypee Mendoza, engineer Arjay Domasig, engineer Emelita Juat, DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office  finance section chief Juanito Mendoza, and DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office cashier Christina Pineda.

The Ombudsman also filed an urgent motion for the special raffle of the cases they  filed and asked the Anti-graft Court to immediately issue a warrant of arrest and hold departure order against all seven accused.

The cases stemmed from a complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation-Bulacan South District Office (NBI-BSDO) following their investigation on the project.

Former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo alleged he delivered P125 million to Revilla’s residence in 2024, and another P250 million delivered by his staff before the 2025 elections in exchange for facilitating or endorsing flood control projects.

Bernardo’s sworn statement became the basis for the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to recommend criminal and administrative charges against Revilla and other individuals allegedly involved in kickback schemes.

Revilla has since denied  the allegations.

The charges filed against Revilla are the second batch of flood control-related criminal cases filed by the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan.

In December 2025, malversation and graft charges were filed by Ombudsman prosecutors before the Sandiganbayan against  former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and 16 others over the P289 million substandard road dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.