No special treatment, Palace, DILG, PNP vow amid flood control scandal
Former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. was ordered detained at the Quezon City Jail’s Male Dormitory in Payatas on Tuesday following a malversation of public funds case filed with the Sandiganbayan, despite posting bail for a separate graft charge at the special anti-corruption court.
Police officials said Revilla remained under custody for the non-bailable malversation case linked to an alleged P92.8-million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.
Malacañang, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) underscored that no special treatment would be accorded the ex-lawmaker amid the ongoing legal proceedings.
Revilla on Tuesday posted P90,000 bail for the graft case before the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division. However, the court did not allow him to go home after the Sandiganbayan Special Third Division ordered his temporary detention in connection with the malversation charge arising from the same project.
Revilla’s camp filed a motion seeking his detention at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame instead of the QC jail, which the Sandigan is set to hear on Friday, January 23.
A movie star before becoming senator, Revilla appeared in court on Tuesday accompanied by his wife, Cavite Second District Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla, and their sons—Agimat party-list Rep. Brian Revilla and Cavite First District Rep. Jolo Revilla.
The Sandiganbayan earlier ordered Revilla’s arrest and issued a hold-departure order against him and several officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First District Engineering Office.
Revilla voluntarily surrendered at Camp Crame on Monday night to face the charges. In a Facebook video posted earlier in the day, he said he was “surprised and disheartened by the lack of due process” following the Sandiganbayan’s issuance of the warrant.
“Pero ganun pa man, haharapin ko ito ng walang takot at alam kong hindi ako pababayaan ng Diyos dahil wala akong kasalanan dito,” he continued.
(But regardless, I will face this without fear, and I know that God will not forsake me because I am innocent of this.)
This is not Revilla’s first run-in with the Sandiganbayan. On December 7, 2018, the anti-graft court’s First Division acquitted the ex-senator of plunder in the so-called PDAF scam, freeing him after four years and six months in jail.
Revilla still faces charges for 16 counts of graft related to the case, for which he posted P480,000 bail.
Malacañang said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was surprised by Revilla’s alleged involvement but stressed that political alliances would not obstruct the investigation.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the President reacted when Revilla’s name surfaced, noting their political ties in the last elections.
“The President was surprised because he is an ally,” Castro said, adding that Marcos has been consistent in his position that “even if someone is an ally, if there is a need to investigate, then there should be an investigation.”
Castro emphasized that accountability applies to everyone regardless of political affiliation and that the administration supports the independence of legal and investigative processes.
She said the matter rests with the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Justice, and the courts.
Revilla, chairman of the Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats party, ran under the Marcos-endorsed “Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas” in the 2025 senatorial elections but lost.
Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla echoed the Palace’s stance, assuring the public that Revilla would receive no special treatment.
“We have been friends for a long time. But duty calls. There are no exceptions to the rule,” Remulla said, noting that he advised Revilla – a fellow native of Cavite as well — to surrender peacefully after the warrant was issued.
The DILG, through the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, confirmed Revilla’s commitment to the QC Jail–Male Dormitory.
Remulla said Revilla is being accorded the same treatment, security measures, and jail management protocols as other persons deprived of liberty, in accordance with existing laws and regulations.
The DILG chief also said the ex-senator’s license to own and possess firearms has been revoked under existing regulations.
He added that six of the seven accused in the case are now in custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the National Bureau of Investigation, while one DPWH official remains at large.
PNP acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. welcomed Revilla’s surrender and urged other high-profile personalities facing criminal charges to do the same.
He said claims of innocence should be matched by the courage to face charges in court.
The PNP “has been accommodating to those who respect the legal process, but we are firm against those who defy it,” Nartatez said.
Nartatez said he directed the CIDG to serve the Sandiganbayan warrant, after which Revilla underwent standard booking and documentation procedures, including a medical examination, before being presented to the court.
He also ordered police units to pursue the arrest of co-accused who remain at large.
One of the co-accused, Christina Mae del Rosario Pineda, a cashier of the DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office, was arrested early Tuesday in Barangay Bangao, Buguias, Benguet.
She was apprehended at a checkpoint near Sagada while allegedly attempting to evade authorities, according to Interior Secretary Remulla.
“We encourage the other co-accused and all fugitives to surrender and face the charges against them,” Nartatez said. “Surrender is always a good choice, but if they choose to hide, we will find them.”
Cavite Rep. Jolo Revilla said his father voluntarily submitted to authorities to confront the accusations and demonstrate trust in the country’s legal institutions.
“Hindi ito pag-iwas, kundi pagharap (He didn’t avoid it, he faced it),” he said, adding that the proper venue to resolve the issues is the courtroom.
“As a son, this is a difficult moment for our family. As a legislator, I recognize the importance of accountability and the integrity of due process,” he said, appealing for fairness and restraint in public discourse while thanking supporters for their prayers.
