Arrest warrant, hold departure order issued vs ex-Sen Bong Revilla, co- accused in P92.8-M flood control mess
The Sandiganbayan issued arrest warrant and hold departure order (HDO) against former senator Bong Revilla Jr. and his co-accused in the P92.8 million “anomalous” flood control project in Pandi town in Bulacan.
The warrant of arrest and the HDO were issued by the anti-graft court’s Third Division which is handling the non-bailable malversation of public funds filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against Revilla and his co-accused.
With the arrest order, law enforcers were directed to apprehend Revilla and turn him over to the court. With the HDO, Revilla will not be allowed to leave the country.
Once arrested or if he surrenders, Revilla will be detained during the duration of the trial of the malversation of public funds case.
The issuance of the arrest warrant and the HDO was confirmed by Clerk of Court Dennis Pulma who said that both orders were issued on Jan. 19.
Aside from Revilla, also ordered arrested and prevented from leaving the country were Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez, Engineer Jaypee Mendoza, Engineer R.J. Domasig, Engineer Emelita Juat, Accountant Juanito Mendoza and Christina Mae Pineda.
In a resolution, the anti-graft court directed the Bureau of Immigration (BI) “to hold the departure from the Philippines of the above-named accused and to include the names of the said accused in the Hold Departure List of the said bureau.”
The anti-graft court said it issued the orders “in the exercise of its inherent power to use all means necessary to carry its orders into effect, more specifically, to preserve and maintain the effectiveness of its jurisdiction over the cases and the persons of the accused so as to render accused at all times amenable to its writs and processes.”
The malversation of public funds and graft cases were filed against Revilla and his co-accused last Friday.
On Monday morning, Jan. 19, the malversation of public funds case was raffled to the court’s Third Division, while the graft case was assigned to the court’s Fourth Division.