Ex-Senator Revilla Surrenders Amid Arrest Warrant in ‘Ghost’ Flood Control Project Scandal

Former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. arrives at the Sandiganbayan, accompanied by his wife, Rep. Lani Mercado, and DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. Revilla surrendered to police at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Monday night, January 19, 2026.

Ex-Senator Revilla Surrenders Amid Arrest Warrant in ‘Ghost’ Flood Control Project Scandal

By Bing Jabadan – TheNATIONWEEK.com | January 20, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – Former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. surrendered to authorities on Monday night, marking a pivotal turn in the investigation into a multi-million peso “ghost” flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

His surrender followed the issuance of an arrest warrant and a hold departure order (HDO) by the Sandiganbayan Third Division, which escalated the legal battle surrounding the alleged malversation of public funds.

Revilla’s arrival at Camp Crame in Quezon City underscored the gravity of the situation. He was accompanied by acting Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Lt. Gen. Melencio Nartatez Jr. and other police officials.

The PNP confirmed the voluntary surrender, after which the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) executed the warrant.

Revilla subsequently underwent standard booking and documentation procedures, signaling the formal commencement of his legal ordeal.

In a video statement released shortly after his surrender, Revilla expressed his dismay, claiming a “seeming lack of due process.”

Despite his concerns, he vowed to face the charges, maintaining his innocence.

“Despite that, I will face the charges without fear. And I know that God will not forsake me because I am innocent.”

The Sandiganbayan’s decision to issue the arrest warrant stems from a non-bailable case of malversation of public funds through the falsification of public documents.

The prosecution alleges that Revilla and six former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office conspired to facilitate the release of P76 million for the construction of a P92.8 million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

The prosecution’s case hinges on the assertion that the project, despite being declared complete, was never actually implemented.

Inspections and witness testimonies reportedly corroborated the findings, revealing that the accused allegedly falsified accomplishment reports, issued fraudulent billing documents, and endorsed disbursement vouchers to facilitate the illicit release of funds.

In a resolution dated Jan. 19, 2026, and penned by Associate Justice Karl Miranda, the Sandiganbayan affirmed the existence of “a probable cause” in the case.

The court has also directed the Bureau of Immigration to include the names of the accused on its hold departure list to prevent them from fleeing the country.

Revilla’s co-accused include DPWH Assistant District Engineer Bryce Hernandez, Engineers Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Domasig, and Emelita Juat, along with Juanito Mendoza and Christina Pineda.

The case originated from a complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation-Bulacan South District Office (NBI-BSDO) following an investigation into the questionable project.

This isn’t the first time Revilla has faced corruption allegations. He was previously jailed and later acquitted of plunder charges related to the alleged misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

This time, he was implicated in the flood control scheme following allegations by former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo that the actor received kickbacks in exchange for endorsing flood control projects.

Revilla has denied the accusations.