Former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. is back behind bars, having surrendered to authorities late Monday following the issuance of a warrant for his arrest on charges of graft and malversation in connection with a ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.
He is now being held at the Quezon City male dormitory in Payatas on orders of the Sandiganbayan before which he appeared at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, for commitment and booking procedures.
“In the meantime, the accused, Ramon Revilla Jr., who is charged with malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents, shall be held at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology–National Capital Region, Quezon City Jail, male dormitory, Payatas Road, Barangay Bagong Silang, Quezon City,” the antigraft court said.
“The accused shall not be moved, removed, transferred, or otherwise released unless ordered by the Court,” it added.
Newly built prison
The newly built prison has 80 dorms, each designed to house 10 men and equipped with one bathroom, one shower, and one toilet.
Revilla is the first high-profile person to be held at the facility. The Sandiganbayan is scheduled to hear on Jan. 23 a motion filed by his camp for him to stay at the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial center.
But Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla told reporters that the PNP custodial center is no longer an option as it is “up for demolition anytime this month.”
Revilla posted bail of ₱90,000 for the graft charge. But he will remain detained because the crime of malversation is nonbailable.
“Thank you to all those who are praying for me. My conscience is clear,” he told reporters as he left the court Tuesday afternoon.
The charges filed against Revilla at the antigraft court’s third division stem from a ₱92.8‑million flood control project for which, prosecutors say, funds were released. They say the project was declared complete despite no actual construction taking place.
‘Saddening’
Revilla was accompanied by his wife, Cavite (2nd district) Rep. Lani Mercado, their children, and his lawyers when he surrendered at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame past 9 p.m. on Monday. As part of the procedure, he also surrendered 20 licensed firearms.
Before his surrender, the former senator lamented the supposed lack of due process that led to the issuance of a warrant for his arrest.
“We received information that my warrant of arrest is out,” he said in a video message posted on his Facebook account. “This is saddening. It’s like there’s no due process. But still, I will face this without fear. And I know God won’t abandon me. Because I did nothing wrong. I only ask for your prayers and give my family strength.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Revilla’s son, Cavite (1st district) Rep. Jolo Revilla, said the ex-senator’s decision to voluntarily surrender to authorities was “a deliberate step to confront the accusations head-on and to affirm his faith in our legal institutions.”
“Hindi ito pag-iwas, kundi pagharap. He believes that the proper place to resolve these issues is inside the courtroom, where facts matter and the law speaks louder than speculation,” the younger Revilla said.
He said “this is a difficult moment for our family,” but acknowledged “the importance of accountability and the integrity of due process.”
“In this light, we respectfully call for fairness—fair treatment under the law, fair judgment based on evidence, and fairness in public discourse that refrains from trial by publicity,” he said.
‘Lifelong friends’
Interior Secretary Remulla said there would be no privileges for Revilla.
“I assure you, there will be no special treatment there,” he said in a press briefing at Camp Crame. “Revilla and I have been lifelong friends ever since the 1980s. … But duty calls. There are no exceptions to the rule.”
Remulla also said that aside from the male dormitory in Payatas, the other recommended jail facilities are in Camp Karingal in Quezon City and Bicutan in Taguig City.
This is not the first time that Revilla was detained. He was held at the PNP custodial center on plunder charges in 2013, in connection with the ₱10-billion pork barrel scam presided over by the businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles. He was eventually acquitted by the Sandiganbayan, but Napoles and his chief of staff Richard Cambe were convicted.
Aside from Revilla, the Sandiganbayan also issued arrest warrants and hold-departure orders against Brice Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Domasig, Emelita Juat, Juanito Mendoza, and Christina Pineda in connection with the case. All but one are now in custody. CS
