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Former Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. reunites with his family after securing his release on P1 million bail on July 31, 2026.
Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. via Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — Former senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. is out on bail after posting a P1-million cash bond in the non-bailable malversation case over the alleged anomalous P92.8-million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.
Revilla secured his temporary release on Friday, hours after the Sandiganbayan Third Division granted his petition for bail, ruling that prosecutors failed to establish that the evidence of his guilt is strong during the bail hearings.
"God is good," Revilla wrote in a Facebook post after posting bail, which included photos of his family.
In a 107-page resolution promulgated Friday, the anti-graft court granted Revilla's petition and ordered his provisional release upon posting the cash bond, unless he is being held on another legal ground.
The court said it was granting the application "for failure of the prosecution to establish strong evidence of guilt" during the bail hearings with respect to the charge of malversation through falsification of public documents.
The Third Division, however, denied the bail applications of Revilla's co-accused — Brice Ericson Diaz Hernandez, Jaypee De Leon Mendoza, Arjay Salvador Domasig, Emelita Capistrano Juat, Juanito Coronel Mendoza and Christina Mae Del Rosario Pineda.
The court added that Revilla's provisional release is in line with the Supreme Court's ruling in Enrile v. Sandiganbayan, which allows bail in non-bailable offenses when the prosecution fails to establish that the evidence of guilt is strong.
Revilla and his co-accused were charged over the alleged ghost flood control project in Barangay Bunsuran, Pandi, Bulacan.
According to the information filed by the Office of the Ombudsman, prosecutors alleged that between July 2024 and May 2025, the accused conspired to facilitate the release of government funds for the supposed construction of the flood control structure despite no such project being implemented.
The information alleged that at least P76.9 million was paid to SYMS Construction Trading in connection with the project, causing damage and prejudice to the government.
Prosecutors also accused Revilla, then chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Works during the 19th Congress, of obtaining from the Department of Public Works and Highways a list of projects for funding, facilitating the inclusion of the Pandi project in the 2025 General Appropriations Act, and receiving kickbacks or commissions from the funds allotted for it.
The Office of the Ombudsman filed both malversation and graft charges against Revilla and his co-accused in January. Revilla surrendered to authorities on January 19 and later posted P90,000 bail in the graft case arising from the same alleged ghost project. He remained in detention after the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant of arrest in the non-bailable malversation case and sought bail in February.
Revilla has repeatedly denied any involvement in the alleged scheme.
The Sandiganbayan said that its ruling was limited to the issue of bail and did not determine Revilla's guilt or innocence. The criminal case will proceed to trial.
