Sandiganbayan postpones arraignment of former Sen. Bong Revilla, co-accused in flood control case

The Sandiganbayan 3rd Division has postponed the arraignment of former Senator Bong Revilla Jr. and six co-accused in connection with the P92.8 million "ghost" flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan, according to a report by RH Val Gonzales.

The arraignment and pre-trial, initially scheduled for Friday, January 23, were deferred due to several motions filed by Revilla and his co-accused. These include a petition to transfer Revilla from the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame, a request to return the case to the reinvestigation stage, and a motion to quash the arrest warrant.

Revilla's legal team also sought the dismissal of the case and the revocation of his arrest warrant. His lawyer explained that the request for reinvestigation stems from alleged violations of due process.

"Based on the allegations, I will not mention about the merits but it's based on denial of due process," Revilla's counsel said.

The Sandiganbayan has given the defense until January 26 to submit additional motions. The arraignment and pre-trial have been rescheduled for February 9.

Revilla and the other accused remain detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas, where the 3rd Division will inspect both the male and female dormitories. This is part of the court's assessment before deciding on a possible transfer to the PNP Custodial Center.