MANILA, Philippines — The camp of former senator Ramon Revilla Jr. on Wednesday expressed confidence that he will be granted bail following a week of hearings in his malversation case before the Sandiganbayan Third Division.
Revilla’s legal team issued the statement after the court conducted an inspection in Pandi, Bulacan earlier in the day. Both prosecution and defense lawyers attended the visit, which took place as hearings continued on the bail petitions filed by Revilla and most of his co-accused.
His lawyers said the prosecution has so far failed to present strong evidence linking him to the alleged “ghost” flood control project in Pandi, which is central to the charges.
According to Rean Balisi, a member of Revilla’s legal team, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has presented nine witnesses since the bail hearings began on April 6. These include National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) investigator Ivan Samson and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers Aldous Santos and Kenneth Fernando.
Balisi said inconsistencies emerged during the hearings, particularly regarding the project’s location. The court earlier issued subpoenas to certain DPWH officials after Fernando pointed to a different site from those identified by Samson and Santos. Fernando reportedly said the inspected site showed a completed project, raising questions about whether the project was truly non-existent.
State witness Sally Santos testified that she delivered money to former DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez, but admitted she did not know Revilla and had no dealings with him.
Several other witnesses—including personnel from the DPWH, Land Bank of the Philippines, and the Department of Budget and Management—identified documents but acknowledged having no personal knowledge of the project, Balisi added.
Revilla’s camp reiterated that he had no involvement in the alleged ghost project, maintaining that both testimonial and documentary evidence presented so far fail to establish his participation. His lawyers also noted that his name and signature do not appear in any of the records submitted in court.
The prosecution is set to continue presenting witnesses, including former Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara, when hearings resume on April 17. Prosecutors have until April 24 to complete their evidence for the bail proceedings.
The defense maintained that the evidence against Revilla is weak and expressed confidence that the court will grant bail, allowing his temporary release while the case is being tried.
