PROSECUTION witness Vergel Niño Garcia testified before the Sandiganbayan Third Division on Thursday he delivered boxes that supposedly contained cash payoffs to former senator Ramon Revilla Jr.
The prosecution presented Garcia as a witness in the hearing on the bail petitions of Revilla and several of his co-accused.
Revilla and six other people are facing a malversation case in connection with the alleged ghost flood control works in Pandi, Bulacan. Most of the accused have petitioned for bail.
Garcia testified he had served as a driver for Roberto Bernardo, now a former undersecretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), for about 15 years. Bernardo is a state witness in the case.
Garcia testified that he delivered the boxes to Revilla, fellow senator Jinggoy Estrada, Trygve Olaivar, a certain person surnamed Villa, the late DPWH undersecretary Cathy Cabral and former Public Works secretary Manuel Bonoan.
Garcia told the court he delivered 12 boxes to Estrada at the senator’s residence in San Juan City in November 2024.
He said he also made three deliveries to Olaivar, one at Rockwell involving four suitcases; one at Magallanes involving four suitcases; and one at Airport Road involving several boxes.
Garcia said he delivered eight boxes to Villa’s house in January 2025, and a sealed paper bag to the house of Cabral in 2023.
That same year, he handed over a sealed box to Cabral’s driver at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta Park, Manila.
Garcia said he delivered 15 sealed boxes to a driver of Bonoan in November 2024; 20 boxes in 2025; and 20 boxes in Quezon City.
Garcia maintained that he never saw the contents of his deliveries, and learned about it only during an investigation of the flood control scandal.
The prosecution presented Francisco Dela Fuente Jr. in the afternoon.
Reody Anthony Balisi, Revilla’s lawyer, refuted the testimonies of Garcia and dela Fuente.
He said the defense has not wavered in its position that there is no evidence linking Revilla to the Bulacan project.
Accused with Revilla were Brice Hernandez, Juanito Mendoza, Arjay Domasig, Emelita Juat, Christina Mae Pineda and Jaypee Mendoza. All except Jaypee Mendoza are seeking bail.
The case was filed by the Office of the Ombudsman last January.
Revilla refused to enter a plea during his arraignment in February. The Sandiganbayan Third Division thus entered a not guilty plea for him.
All the other accused pleaded not guilty.
