Six co-accused of former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. in a malversation case linked to an alleged floodgate project in Bulacan have appeared before the Sandiganbayan to return their arrest warrants.
Engineers Emelita Juat and Christina Pineda were escorted Monday morning by the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Bulacan Provincial Police to the anti-graft court’s Third Division.
Pineda, a cashier of the Department of Public Works and Highways Bulacan First District Engineering Office, was arrested early Tuesday at a checkpoint in Barangay Bangao, Buguias, Benguet while allegedly attempting to evade authorities, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
Authorities also arrested Juat the same day, although Pineda’s counsel claimed she surrendered. Juat’s legal team likewise said she voluntarily surrendered to the Bulacan Provincial Police.
Both women were committed to the Quezon City Jail Female Dormitory at Camp Caringal.
Revilla and four other co-accused—Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez, Engineers Jaypee Mendoza and Arjay Domasig, and Juanito Mendoza—were committed Tuesday to the Quezon City Jail.
Earlier, Revilla posted P90,000 bail before the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division, which is handling his graft case.
Revilla and his co-accused are set to undergo arraignment and pretrial on 23 January.
The Sandiganbayan Third Division earlier issued arrest warrants and hold departure orders against the respondents.
The Office of the Ombudsman, which filed the malversation and graft charges on 16 January, said the respondents allegedly connived to divert P76 million for a P92.8-million floodgate project in Pandi, Bulacan, which was declared completed despite never being implemented.
The accusations against him was denied by Revilla.