Plunder deja vu for Estrada, Revilla

In a repeat of their involvement in the 2013 pork barrel scandal, Senator Jinggoy Estrada and former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. have been charged with multiple counts of plunder for their alleged role in overpriced and ghost flood control projects.

According to the Department of Justice, the duo, along with former Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co, will each face triple complaints in connection with the non-bailable criminal case.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed the complaints with the Department of Justice (DoJ), which are part of three separate plunder cases involving high-profile personalities implicated in the flood control scandal.

The complaints, according to DoJ spokesperson Polo Martinez, are undergoing a preliminary investigation which includes Co, the former chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

“We have to remember that in plunder, we have three charges undergoing preliminary investigation,” Martinez said.

“That is three cases. The first part involves high-profile personalities —Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Revilla and Zaldy Co — three separate cases of plunder against each one of the respondents,” Martinez said.

A preliminary investigation into the plunder case began on 5 January and includes allegations of violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct for Public Officials.

Martinez clarified that the cases were not referred by the Office of the Ombudsman but were filed directly by the NBI with the DoJ.

Most of the questionable projects are located in Bulacan’s first district, which has been identified as the site of several anomalous structures.

Earlier, Martinez said the DoJ is processing a broader cluster of cases linked to alleged bribery and procurement fraud in flood control projects, with six instances involving other high-profile respondents and a seventh naming Co in plunder.

The allegations point to systemic irregularities in infrastructure procurement, Martinez said.

The DoJ official said the charges include direct bribery, indirect bribery, corruption of public officers, violations of the Government Procurement Act, and bid-rigging.

P10-B pork scam suspects

The 2013 pork barrel scandal implicated several high-profile politicians, including Revilla and Estrada, who were accused of funneling millions from their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocations to Napoles-linked entities.

Revilla’s alleged involvement centered on his PDAF allocations from 2006 to 2010, during which he reportedly transferred approximately P517 million to Napoles’ fake non-government organizations (NGOs), pocketing around P224.5 million in commissions, the highest amount among the accused senators.

Whistleblowers, including a former Napoles aide, Benhur Luy, claimed that Revilla endorsed projects for sham organizations, with funds siphoned through fabricated receipts and ghost beneficiaries.

Revilla denied the allegations, asserting that his signatures on endorsement letters were forged and that he had no direct dealings with Napoles.

His chief of staff, Richard Cambe, was implicated as the intermediary who allegedly collected the kickbacks.

P585-M diverted

Estrada was similarly accused of diverting P585 million from his PDAF between 2004 and 2010 to Napoles’ NGOs, allegedly receiving P183 million in kickbacks.

Whistleblowers detailed how Estrada’s office endorsed projects for agricultural supplies and livelihood programs that never materialized, with funds instead funneled back as commissions.

Like Revilla, Estrada denied involvement, claiming the projects were legitimate and he was unaware of any irregularities.

Estrada’s former deputy chief of staff, Pauline Labayen, was tagged as a key conduit in the transactions.

In April 2014, the Office of the Ombudsman found probable cause, leading to formal plunder charges in June 2014 in the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court.

Arrest warrants were issued, and both senators surrendered. Revilla remained in detention at Camp Crame for over four years, while Estrada was granted bail in September 2017 after three years.

In December 2018, the Sandiganbayan acquitted Revilla of plunder, citing insufficient evidence to prove he personally received kickbacks beyond a reasonable doubt. However, it convicted Cambe and Napoles and held Revilla civilly liable, ordering him to return P124.5 million to the government.

To date, Revilla has not complied with the order to return the funds. He was released and later returned to politics, winning a Senate seat in 2019.

Only bribery raps

For Estrada, the trial concluded in January 2024 with an acquittal on the plunder charges but he was convicted on one count of direct bribery (8 to 9 years) and two counts of indirect bribery (2 to 3 years each).

The court found evidence that he had received bribes, but not enough to meet the plunder threshold of P50 million.

Napoles was convicted of related corruption charges. Estrada appealed the verdict and remains free on bail, continuing his political career with reelection to the Senate in 2022.