Former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. refused to enter a plea when arraigned by the Sandiganbayan on the graft charge filed against him and his co-accused in the P92.8 million “ghost” flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

For his refusal, the anti-graft court entered in its records a plea of “not guilty” for Revilla during the arraignment on Monday afternoon, Feb. 9.

Revilla’s co-accused former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan Engineering Office engineer R.J. Domasig and accountant Juanito Mendoza, entered a “not guilty” plea during the arraignment.

Co-accused DPWH assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez, engineer Jaypee Mendoza, engineer Emelita Juat, and cashier Christina Mae Pineda had earlier pleaded "not guilty" to the graft charge which is pending trial by the court’s fourth division.

Earlier, the anti-graft court’s third division reset to Feb. 16 the arraignment of Revilla on the non-bailable malversation of public funds in connection with the Pandi town project.

The arraignment was reset because the court has yet to settle Revilla’s motion for reconsideration on the ruling that denied his plea to dismiss the case.

In both graft and malversation cases, the Office of the Ombudsman said that Revilla and his co-accused conspired to facilitate the release of approximately P76 million for the supposed construction of the P92.8 million flood control project in Purok 5, Barangay Bunsuran in Pandi town.

The Ombudsman said that based on official inspection and accounts of witnesses, the project “was never implemented.”

It also said: "Despite the absence of any actual construction, the respondents declared the project completed. Thereafter, to facilitate the release of the entire project cost, the respondents were found to have falsified accomplishment reports, issued fraudulent billing documents, and endorsed disbursement vouchers."