Bong Revilla seeks bail in malversation case over Bulacan flood control project

Former senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. has filed a petition for bail with the Sandiganbayan Third Division pending the resolution of the malversation case filed against him in relation to the alleged anomalous P92.8-million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

Lawyer Francesca Señga, the spokesperson for Revilla's legal team, confirmed to journalists Friday that the petition for bail has been filed for his client.

"The court should resolve it within a period of 30 [working] days. This [malversation] charge is non-bailable. But if we can show that the evidence of guilt is not strong, the bail becomes a matter of right," Señga said.

"Then prosecution has to prove whether the evidence of guilt is not strong. This is a part of the process," she added.

During the pre-trial of Revilla's malversation case ahead of Señga's interview, government prosecutors informed the anti-graft court that they intend to field 20 witnesses in Revilla's bail hearing.

Señga, however, was unfazed for her client.

"Hindi po nakasalalay sa dami ng testigo 'yan. Kahit mag-present ka ng isang daan o limang daan o isang libong testigo, kung lahat naman ng testigo na 'yan eh walang personal na knowledge o walang alam… iyong tinatawag natin sa rules of evidence na walang credibility or probative value [ang testimony], wala pa ring magiging masamang epekto 'yun," she said.

(It's not about the number of witnesses. Even if you present 100 or 500 or 1,000 witnesses, but if none of them have personal knowledge or don't know anything... or what the rules of evidence state as having no credibility or probative value, then this would not have any negative impact on the case.)

"Hindi 'yan [depende] sa dami, pero sa kung ano iyong sasabihin nila, kung 'yung meron ba silang ebidensiya na masasabi na maipapakita na na-commit talaga 'yung crime," she added.

(It doesn't depend on the number, but on what they will say, if they have evidence to show that the crime was really committed.)

Following the Revilla camp's submission, the Sandiganbayan ordered that the bail hearings on the malversation case be held within a 10-day period starting on April 6.

Earlier, Revilla posted a P90,000 bail for the graft case involving the same alleged ghost flood control project in Bulacan before the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division. 

Prosecutors of the Office of the Ombudsman have alleged that Revilla and six other co-accused facilitated the fund release of the entire project cost, falsified accomplishment reports, issued fraudulent billing documents, endorsed disbursement and declared the project completed "despite the absence of any actual construction." — VDV, GMA Integrated News