Bong Revilla Freed on ₱1-Million Bail in Flood-Control Malversation Case; Ombudsman Says Judiciary Must Share the Blame

Former senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. walked out of detention on August 1, 2026 after posting a ₱1-million cash bond, hours after the Sandiganbayan's Third Division granted his bail petition in a non-bailable malversation case over an alleged "ghost" flood-control project in Pandi, Bulacan, according to Philstar.com. The ruling drew a pointed response from Ombudsman Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla, who said his office had expected the outcome and suggested the judiciary needs to match his office's anti-corruption push. ## What the court ruled In a 107-page resolution promulgated Friday, August 1, the anti-graft court found that prosecutors had failed to establish "strong evidence of guilt" during bail hearings on the charge of malversation through falsification of public documents, and ordered Revilla's provisional release upon posting bond. The court cited the Supreme Court's ruling in Enrile v. Sandiganbayan, which allows bail in otherwise non-bailable offenses when prosecutors cannot show the evidence of guilt is strong. Notably, the same division denied bail to six of Revilla's co-accused — Brice Ericson Diaz Hernandez, Jaypee De Leon Mendoza, Arjay Salvador Domasig, Emelita Capistrano Juat, Juanito Coronel Mendoza and Christina Mae Del Rosario Pineda — meaning the court's assessment of the evidence varied by defendant even within the same case. The Sandiganbayan stressed that its ruling was limited to the bail question and did not touch on Revilla's guilt or innocence; the underlying criminal case will proceed to trial. Revilla marked his release with a Facebook post reading "God is good," accompanied by family photos. ## What Revilla is accused of According to the information filed by the Office of the Ombudsman, Revilla and his co-accused are charged over an alleged ghost flood-control project in Barangay Bunsuran, Pandi, Bulacan, worth about ₱92.8 million. Prosecutors allege that between July 2024 and May 2025, the accused conspired to facilitate the release of government funds for a flood-control structure that was never actually built, with at least ₱76.9 million paid to SYMS Construction Trading. Prosecutors further allege that Revilla, who chaired the Senate Committee on Public Works during the 19th Congress, obtained from the DPWH a list of projects eligible for funding, facilitated the Pandi project's inclusion in the 2025 General Appropriations Act, and received kickbacks or commissions from the funds allotted to it. Revilla has repeatedly denied the allegations. He faces both malversation and graft charges in connection with the case. ## Ombudsman's reaction Speaking on his radio program on Saturday, August 1, Remulla said the bail grant did not surprise his office. "We predicted this to happen. Alam naman namin ito. Meron talaga mangyayari na mukhang natrabaho, na magkaroon ng grant of bail" ("We predicted this would happen. We already knew this. There was always the possibility that someone had worked behind the scenes to secure the grant of bail"), he said. Remulla said he intends to seek a dialogue with Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, who is set to retire in November, "so that his legacy will be okay, will be good." He said he wants the Supreme Court to examine whether officials are abusing their positions and to review how court proceedings in graft cases are conducted, framing the anti-corruption effort as requiring "a whole-of-government approach" in which "the other half of it is the judiciary." He added: "We just want the Supreme Court to look into this, to be one with us in changing this country, moving it forward and of course, fighting corruption." Neither the Sandiganbayan nor Revilla's defense counsel had responded directly to Remulla's remarks as of this writing; the Ombudsman's comments were framed as a broader appeal to the judiciary rather than a formal legal challenge to the bail order. ## Context Revilla's case is among dozens stemming from the flood-control corruption scandal that has consumed Philippine politics since 2025, implicating former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, fugitive contractor Elizaldy "Zaldy" Co, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and numerous DPWH officials. Greenpeace Philippines has estimated, based on Senate inquiry data, that as much as ₱1.089 trillion in the government's climate-tagged expenditures could have been lost to corruption since 2023. The Ombudsman's office has pursued parallel plunder, graft and malversation cases against multiple officials and contractors, with mixed results at the bail stage — underscoring the evidentiary hurdles prosecutors face even in a scandal with broad public attention. ### Sources - ['We predicted this to happen': Ombudsman Remulla says on Revilla bail](https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/08/01/2546282/we-predicted-happen-ombudsman-remulla-says-revilla-bail) — Philstar.com, Kristine Daguno-Bersamina - [Bong Revilla freed after posting P1-million bail in flood control case](https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/08/01/2546274/bong-revilla-freed-after-posting-p1-million-bail-flood-control-case) — Philstar.com, Kristine Daguno-Bersamina - [Flood control corruption an obscene plunder of much-needed climate funds](https://www.greenpeace.org/philippines/press/68522/flood-control-corruption-an-obscene-plunder-of-much-needed-climate-funds/) — Greenpeace Philippines