The Sandiganbayan Third Division on Monday directed law enforcers to arrest former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla and six others shortly after it issued an arrest warrant and a hold departure order (HDO) in the P92.8-M flood control mess.

With the HDO, Revilla will not be allowed to leave the country, and once arrested or if he surrenders, the former lawmaker will be detained for the duration of the trial of the malversation of public funds case.

The Sandiganbayan issued an arrest warrant and HDO against Revilla and his co-accused in the P92.8 million “anomalous” flood control project in Pandi town, Bulacan.

The Third Division of the Sandiganbayan is handling the non-bailable malversation of public funds case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against Revilla and his co-accused.

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, those 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.”

Last Friday, the malversation of public funds and graft cases were filed against Revilla and his co-accused.

The case of malversation of public funds was raffled to the court’s Third Division on Monday morning, while the graft case was assigned to the court’s Fourth Division.