BREAKING: The Department of Justice has placed former Quezon City 4th District Congressman Marvin Rillo on an immigration watchlist amid ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
According to a DOJ memorandum released on October 15, the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) was issued upon the request of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which sought to monitor the movements of 16 individuals—including Rillo—implicated in the commission’s probe into anomalous flood control projects.
While the ILBO does not prohibit travel abroad, it allows immigration authorities to report any attempt by listed individuals to leave the country and enables the DOJ to act swiftly should they be deemed potential flight risks. The department emphasized that the order is preventive in nature, meant to uphold transparency and accountability while investigations are underway.
The investigation was prompted by testimonies from contractors, including Curlee Discaya, who appeared before both congressional and Senate Blue Ribbon hearings on alleged kickbacks and fund misuse in public works. In his sworn affidavit, Discaya detailed how he met with Rillo multiple times, describing the lawmaker as someone who frequently invoked his political ties.
Discaya stated, “Si Cong. Marvin Rillo naman ay ilang beses binabanggit ang pangalan ni Speaker Martin Romualdez bilang kanyang malapit na kaibigan.” He also recounted that during their meetings at Wine Story in BGC and EDSA Shangri-La Mall, “sinabi pa ni Cong. Rillo na lahat ng kanya request para sa pondo ay galing pa mismo sa unprogrammed funds at insertions na inaaprubahan ni Speaker.”
Discaya further alleged that Rillo’s associate, identified as Bogs Magalong, would later meet him at those same venues or visit his office to collect money connected to the projects under review.
In a separate development, Rillo has filed multiple cyberlibel complaints against Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN) and its anchor Cj Hirro. The complaints were lodged before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office, following PGMN’s investigative reports that scrutinized public spending during Rillo’s term, including the stalled ₱71-million multipurpose building project at Carlos L. Albert High School in Quezon City.
PGMN’s reports drew widespread public attention, amassing millions of views across its platforms and prompting calls for clarification on how the ₱71 million was utilized. Instead of engaging with the questions raised, Rillo’s camp moved forward with legal action, accusing Hirro and PGMN of cyberlibel.
Following the filing of the complaints, Hirro released a statement addressing the cases.
“I have been sued for cyberlibel by former Congressman Marvin Rillo over reports I published on Peanut Gallery Media Network,” Hirro said. “This confirms that the questions I raised struck where accountability had long been avoided. When power reacts this way, it often reveals more than it conceals.”
She continued, “I will not hide or cry behind the curtain of press freedom. Accountability lies at the heart of democracy. No country can endure without it. This lawsuit makes one thing unmistakable — what’s at stake here is the public’s right to know.”
In her remarks, Hirro underscored that the reports in question were supported by public records, government documents, and testimonies from residents and contractors. “These stories were not built on rumor or gossip,” she said. “They were based on documents and verified accounts that deserve to be examined. If truth-telling now warrants a lawsuit, then the question becomes — who truly fears accountability?”
Both the DOJ’s investigation into alleged flood control anomalies and Rillo’s cyberlibel complaints against Hirro are ongoing.
