Revilla, 6 others sued for P93M ‘ghost’ project
The Office of the Ombudsman on Friday filed graft and malversation charges in the Sandiganbayan against ex-Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and six former Bulacan public works engineers and employees in an alleged conspiracy to pay for a nonexistent flood control project worth P92.8 million.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said the former senator and his coaccused allegedly conspired to release at least P76 million as payment for the project in Purok V, Barangay Bunsuran in Pandi, Bulacan, which was awarded to a private contractor in March 2025.
“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,” he said.
Clavano said that an official inspection and accounts by witnesses revealed that the project was never implemented but was reported to have been “completed” to allow the release of the money.
Revilla’s six coaccused were from the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office (DEO) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)—Assistant DEO chief Brice Hernandez, engineers Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Mendoza and Emelita Juat, finance section chief Juanito Mendoza and cashier Christina Pineda. The six have been dismissed from the DPWH.
Clavano did not specify Revilla’s role in the alleged conspiracy, given that the former senator is from Cavite province. He also did not identify the contractor or explain why no representatives from the construction company were named as corespondents in the case.
The Isumbong sa Pangulo website, which President Marcos put up to help locate suspected anomalous flood control project, did not show any project in “Purok V” in Pandi’s Barangay Bunsuran.
There were at least four projects in the same barangay—two involving a joint venture between Topnotch Catalyst Builders and One Frame Construction Inc. with identical project costs of P98.999 million, and two others undertaken only by Topnotch, also with identical P96.499 million costs.
Topnotch was among the top 15 contractors, out of 2,000 nationwide, which bagged nearly 20 percent of the P500-billion flood control projects across the country from 2022 to 2025, according to the President.
Clavano said the Bulacan South District Office of the National Bureau of Investigation filed the criminal complaint against Revilla and the others, prompting the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to collaborate in investigating the case.
“Today’s filing before the Sandiganbayan emphasizes that the Office of the Ombudsman is steadfast in its commitment to enforce accountability where public funds are concerned,” he said.
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“As we have stated before, this is only the beginning,” Clavano added. “Our commitment to accountability shall be relentless, deliberate [and] in accordance with the law.”
Revilla was first linked to the flood control corruption scandal in a September 2025 Senate blue ribbon committee hearing where then Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo disclosed that he allegedly delivered P125 million in kickbacks to the former senator’s house in December 2024.
He said he sent his aide to deliver another P250 million to Revilla before the 2025 midterm polls where the former senator lost his reelection bid.
The case against Revilla is the second set brought before the Sandiganbayan and the third overall since the flood control corruption scandal broke out in August last year.
First two cases
The first criminal charges filed in the Sandiganbayan involved the alleged substandard P289.4 million river dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, where resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co and other government engineers and officers of the private contractor were indicted also on graft and malversation charges.
The second criminal complaint was filed by the Ombudsman at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Digos City. Billionaire contractor Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya was among those charged also with graft and malversation in connection with a P96.5-million alleged ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental. The case was later transferred to the Lapu-Lapu RTC.
All the malversation cases filed by the Ombudsman are nonbailable as the amount of public funds involved exceeds the P8.8-million threshold for bail.
On Dec. 10, 2025, Revilla appeared before the DOJ and submitted his response to the allegations linking him to the anomalous flood control projects.
His lawyer, Francesca Señga, told reporters that the former senator submitted proof that the allegations against him were “absolute lies and nothing but lies.”
Revilla returned to the DOJ on Jan. 5 with a counteraffidavit in response to allegations of his involvement in a ghost flood control project undertaken by Wawao Builders.
Señga said the complaint against him was baseless because it was “based on incredible and incompetent evidence.”
“In fact,” she said, “it is based on hearsay and it comes from an incredible, unbelievable, and unreliable source.”
Senate resumes probe
The Senate blue ribbon committee will resume its hearings next week and Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III had issued a subpoena for Co and 11 other individuals to appear.
Co, who left the country before the flood control corruption scandal broke out, has been declared a fugitive from justice after he was charged in court and declared he wasn’t planning to return to the country. His passport has been canceled.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Co was last reported to be in Portugal.
Among those summoned to appear were resigned Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, who was last known to be in the United States, and Mario Lipana, former Commission on Audit chief. —WITH REPORTS FROM JOHN ERIC MENDOZA AND INQUIRER RESEARCH
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