The Office of the Ombudsman has filed graft and malversation charges before the Sandiganbayan against former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and six others in connection with an alleged ₱92.8-million “ghost” flood control project in Bulacan.
The charges stem from a criminal complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Bulacan South District Office, which alleged a conspiracy to pay for a nonexistent infrastructure project.
Joining Revilla in the charge sheet are six former employees and engineers from the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The accused include former Assistant District Engineering Office chief Brice Hernandez, former finance section chief Juanito Mendoza, former cashier Christina Pineda, and former engineers Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Mendoza, and Emelita Juat.
According to investigators, the funds were released for a flood mitigation project that was later found to be grossly deficient or completely non-existent upon inspection.
This case is part of a broader investigation into a second batch of anomalous flood control projects involving several contractors.
In a counter-affidavit submitted to the Department of Justice earlier this month, Revilla’s legal team dismissed the allegations as absolute lies and baseless.
His lead counsel, Atty. Francesca Señga, argued that the complaint relies on incredible and incompetent evidence, specifically pointing to the testimony of former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, which the defense characterized as hearsay.
This filing follows a separate graft case involving billionaire contractor Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya, who was recently charged over a similar ₱96.5-million alleged ghost project in Davao Occidental.
The Sandiganbayan is expected to raffle the case to a specific division to determine if there is sufficient probable cause to issue warrants of arrest against the former senator and his co-accused.