Former Senator Bong Revilla Jr. on Saturday denied any role in the controversial Bulacan flood control projects, following his addition as a respondent in complaints filed with the Department of Justice (DoJ).
In a statement he posted on Facebook, Revilla said the allegations against him are “not only lies but utterly unbelievable.”
He added, “I am an easy target being used to muddle the truth, but the truth will always come out.”
Revilla and resigned Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co were named as respondents in connection with five anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan.
The case follows the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) recommendation to file charges against Revilla and others for possible direct and indirect bribery, corruption, plunder, and administrative violations.
Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan engineer Henry Alcantara previously alleged that P300 million worth of projects were inserted into the 2024 national budget for Revilla, with a claimed 30 percent “commitment” from the insertions. Revilla, however, brushed off the allegations, insisting that his name is being dragged into the controversy to distort the truth.
“I have lived my life facing all challenges thrown my way. I did not run, I did not hide. I did not back down then, and I will not back down now. And because the truth is on my side, I will face it with full courage and conviction,” Revilla said in Filipino.
The DoJ has given Revilla and Co five days to submit their counter-affidavit in the ongoing investigation.
Revilla’s camp earlier issued a statement saying the former senator “remains confident that the truth, rather than conjecture, will prevail.”
Lawyer Maria Carissa Guinto, Revilla’s spokesperson, stressed that the allegations are “based on fabricated accusations” by individuals seeking to evade justice.
“The allegations against him are based on the meaningless accusations fabricated by a criminal mastermind and his cohorts who are desperately buying their way to freedom,” she said.
“The assertions of those whose conduct reflects a deliberate pattern of moral bankruptcy are suspect at best, and should not, in any manner, be construed as drawing our client into the web they themselves engineered,” she added.
Guinto noted that no preliminary investigation has been conducted yet and that Revilla has not received a copy of the complaint to respond to.
Revilla’s camp also vowed that once afforded his right to be heard, the former senator “will address the accusations and comprehensively dispel the false narratives.”