Bong Revilla faces graft, malversation cases over flood control corruption

MANILA, Philippines — Former senator Bong Revilla, who was previously involved in the pork barrel scam, now faces multiple criminal cases with the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.

On Friday, January 16, the Office of the Ombudsman filed cases against Revilla for alleged violation of section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and for malversation.

Apart from Revilla, the following former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials also face the charges: 

• Former DPWH assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez
• Former DPWH engineer Jaypee Mendoza
• Engineer Arjay Domasig
• Engineer Emelita Juat
• Juanito Mendoza
• Christina Pineda
  

The cases stemmed from a P92.8-million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan, awarded on March 28, 2025. 

According to the Ombudsman, the respondents conspired to facilitate the release of P76 million from the project which was never implemented. 

“Despite the absence of any actual construction, the respondents declared the project completed. Thereafter, to facilitate the release of the entire project cost, the respondents are found to have falsified accomplishment reports, issued fraudulent billing documents, and endorsed disbursement vouchers,” the Ombudsman said. 

For the malversation case, prosecutors also recommended denying bail for the respondents, meaning they will be detained once arrested while the trial is ongoing.

The violation in the anti-graft law’s provision is committed when a person caused “any undue injury to any party, including the Government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.“

This is the third case to have reached the courts after the filing of charges against former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co in November and the cases against contractor Sarah Discaya and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials in December.

In his September 2025 testimony, former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo alleged that Revilla was among the recipients of alleged kickbacks from questionable government flood control projects.

Before the flood control mess, Revilla was a central figure in the pork barrel scam that involved his P124.5-million discretionary funds. He faced a plunder case and 16 counts of graft.

After years of trial, he was cleared in his plunder case in 2018. Then in 2021, he was cleared by the Sandiganbayan in his graft cases, absolving him in all of his pork barrel lawsuits. 

Although the former senator was acquitted, the Sandiganbayan Special First Division, still ordered the “accused [to] solidarily and jointly” return the P124.5 million to the national treasury. But as of 2024, Revilla has yet to return this amount to the nation’s coffers. — Rappler.com