The Sandiganbayan Third Division on Monday deferred for a second time the arraignment of former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and co-accused Juanito Mendoza in connection with a P92.8-million malversation case involving an alleged “ghost” flood control project in Bulacan.
The court rescheduled the proceeding to February 16 at 8:30 a.m. to resolve pending motions filed by the defense.
Revilla and Mendoza, the former finance section chief of the DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office, have appealed a February 6 resolution that denied their request to dismiss the charges.
While the arraignment for Revilla and Mendoza was postponed, several other co-accused proceeded with their pleas.
Former DPWH Bulacan officials Brice Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, and Arjay Domasig all entered pleas of not guilty.
The case stems from allegations that public funds were released for a flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan, that was never implemented despite being documented as completed.
The deferment follows the anti-graft court’s recent rejection of Revilla’s petition to be transferred from the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory in Payatas to the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame.
The court ruled that the current facility is sufficient for the safety and safekeeping of the accused.
Revilla, who was previously acquitted of plunder in 2018, remains in detention at the Payatas facility pending the resolution of the non-bailable malversation charge.