he Sandiganbayan reset to Monday, Feb. 16, the scheduled arraignment today, Feb. 9, of former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. in the non-bailable malversation of public funds case filed against him in the P92.8 million “ghost” flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

The resetting was allowed by the anti-graft court’s third division due to Revilla’s pending motion to reconsider the Feb. 5 denial of his plea to dismiss the charge.

Also reset was the scheduled arraignment of Revilla’s co-accused, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan accountant Juanito Mendoza who also filed a motion for reconsideration.

During the arraignment today, Feb. 9, Revilla’s co-accused – former Bulacan assistant engineer Brice Hernandez, engineer Jaypee Mendoza, engineer R.J. Domasig, engineer Emelita Juat, and cashier Christina Mae Pineda pleaded "not guilty" to the charge.

Revilla and his co-accused are now detained at the male and female dormitories of the Payatas jail in Quezon City.

The Sandiganbayan had denied Revilla’s plea to transfer his detention to the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial facility. It was not known as of posting time if Revilla filed a motion for reconsideration.

Aside from the malversation case, Revilla and his co-accused were also charged with graft.

The criminal charge sheets alleged 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. Based on official inspection and accounts of witnesses, the project “was never implemented.”

In filing the cases, the Office of the Ombudsman 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."