The Office of the Ombudsman said it had expected the Sandiganbayan to grant bail to former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. in connection with the case involving the alleged ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.
Speaking during a radio program on Saturday, Ombudsman Crispin “Boying” Remulla said the approval of Revilla’s petition for bail did not come as a surprise.
Remulla said it appeared that efforts were being made to secure the approval of Revilla’s bail request, but he did not elaborate on what he meant by the statement.
The Ombudsman also said he plans to hold discussions with the Supreme Court as soon as possible, saying a whole-of-government approach is needed to address issues involving flood control projects.
According to Remulla, coordination among government institutions is necessary to deal with concerns related to the implementation of flood control projects.
Revilla was temporarily released on July 31 after the Sandiganbayan allowed him to post ₱1 million bail in connection with the malversation case involving the alleged ₱92.8 million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.
The bail was granted after the Sandiganbayan ruled that the prosecution failed to present strong evidence of guilt during the hearings on Revilla’s petition for bail.
The criminal case against Revilla remains pending before the anti-graft court.
The allegations involve the alleged implementation of a ghost flood control project in Bulacan valued at ₱92.8 million.
Remulla’s remarks came a day after Revilla’s temporary release and focused on the Ombudsman’s position regarding the bail ruling and broader concerns over flood control projects. No additional details regarding his planned dialogue with the Supreme Court were provided.
