Revilla sued again over P93-million ‘ghost’ flood project

National

FORMER senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. is facing another round of graft and malversation charges, this time over a P92.8-million flood control project in Bulacan that investigators say was never implemented.

The Office of the Ombudsman on Friday, Jan 16, filed the charges before the Sandiganbayan against Revilla and six former employees of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), alleging a conspiracy to release public funds for a flood control project in Purok V, Barangay Bunsuran in Pandi, Bulacan.

Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said at least P76 million was released for the project, which was awarded to a private contractor in March 2025.

Investigators found that accomplishment reports were falsified and billing documents and disbursement vouchers were fraudulently prepared to justify the release of funds. Inspections and witness accounts later showed that the project was never implemented despite being reported as 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,” Clavano said in an Inquirer report.

Revilla’s co-accused are former officials of the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office of the DPWH: Assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez; engineers Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Mendoza, and Emelita Juat; finance section chief Juanito Mendoza; and cashier Christina Pineda. All six have been dismissed from government service.

Clavano did not specify Revilla’s role in the alleged conspiracy, noting that the former senator is from Cavite.

He also did not identify the contractor involved or explain why no representatives from the construction firm were included as respondents.

Data from the “Isumbong sa Pangulo” website showed no listing for a flood control project in Purok V, Barangay Bunsuran. However, four other projects were recorded in the same barangay, including two joint ventures involving Topnotch Catalyst Builders and One Frame Construction Inc., and two undertaken solely by Topnotch, with project costs ranging from P96.499 million to P98.999 million.

President Marcos has said Topnotch was among the top 15 contractors nationwide that secured nearly 20 percent of the P500-billion flood control budget from 2022 to 2025.

The case stemmed from an investigation by the Bulacan South District Office of the National Bureau of

Investigation, conducted with the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The filing marks the second set of charges against Revilla before the Sandiganbayan since the flood control scandal surfaced in August 2025.

Revilla appeared before the DOJ in December to respond to the allegations. His lawyer, Francesca Señga, denied the accusations, calling them “absolute lies and nothing but lies.”(MyTVCebu)