THE Sandiganbayan Third Division denied for lack of merit former senator Bong Revilla’s motion for furlough.
Revilla is detained at a jail in Quezon City while facing the malversation through falsification case filed against him and six other people over an alleged ghost project in Pandi, Bulacan.
He filed an urgent motion for furlough last Monday to visit the wake of his brother in Cavite on June 27 or 28 for at least four hours between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
While the court commiserated with Revilla and his family, it said that the situation he presented “could not be considered an emergency or a compelling circumstance that warrants an exception to the general rules imposed on a detained accused.” Also, the court acknowledged that granting him furlough “would strain the security capabilities and personnel of the” Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and “would also unduly create an impression on the public that accused, being a former high-ranking public official, is a favored detainee over and above other similarly situated detainees.” The court noted that there were other means for him to express his condolences and participate in the mourning.
“Relevantly, this denial is without prejudice to the alternatives that may accommodate the family’s bereavement,” the court said. It said that “[s]ubject to the assessment and approval of the appropriate detention authorities,” Revilla may be allowed to: be visited by immediate bereaved family members; virtually join religious services or memorial rites if the detention facility has the necessary facilities and security protocols; or communicate with his family through allowed means.
The Office of the Ombudsman filed the case before the Sandiganbayan in January 2026 against Revilla, Juanito Mendoza, Brice Hernandez, Arjay Domasig, Emelita Juat, Christina Mae Pineda and Jaypee Mendoza.
Revilla refused to enter a plea during his arraignment in February, prompting the Sandiganbayan Third Division to enter a not guilty plea for him.
Juanito Mendoza, Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, Domasig, Juat and Pineda pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Revilla and some of his co-accused filed bail petitions, and the court conducted a bail hearing on several dates starting April 6, but it has yet to issue a ruling.
